


Wherever You Will Go

by decorationxx (Mitzsie)



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alpha Harry, Alpha Liam, Alpha Zayn, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Chef Louis, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Multi, Omega Louis, Omega Niall, Rich Harry, Rich Liam, Rich Zayn, because society says he has to cook, but doesn't want him doing it professionally, endgame OT5, they're omega rights lawyers, which intrigues Louis and Niall
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-20
Updated: 2016-03-20
Packaged: 2018-05-27 20:48:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 29,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6299839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mitzsie/pseuds/decorationxx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I want to offer you a job.”</p><p>Louis’ features shifted in surprise. “A catering gig? I don’t really do that kind of thing.”</p><p>“No, like an everyday kind of job.”</p><p>“What, are you a lawyer by day, restaurateur by night?”</p><p>“Just a lawyer,” Harry replied with a grin. “The alphas I was with the other night, we live together. We’re looking for a personal chef.”</p><p>“…You’re serious.”</p><p>--<br/>OR the one where Niall and Louis aren't very traditional omegas, but that's okay because Harry, Liam, and Zayn aren't very traditional alphas.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wherever You Will Go

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! So, this is my first fic in this fandom, and I really hope you like it! Any questions/comments/concerns are definitely welcome and encouraged!
> 
> Just to clarify a couple things, the fic will start with 2 separate pairings (Louis/Niall and Harry/Liam/Zayn) before getting to the OT5. It’ll be a fairly slow build, with a couple misc. characters involved along the way.
> 
> Also, I took a few liberties when it comes to the legal system in this fic. You’ll see what I mean when it happens. Basically, society works the way I say it works – it’s certainly not based off the British legal system, or even the American one really. I probably took a few other liberties with things, but that’s just because it’s an ABO society. Self-explanatory stuff.
> 
> More to come soon & thanks for reading!

Considering an omega’s place was in the kitchen, it was a little funny that most restaurant chefs were alphas or betas. The best restaurants were alpha only, or at the very least had an alpha as executive chef. Supposedly there was a good reason for that. Betas just didn't have the temperament to assume leadership roles, and omegas weren't even allowed to apply in most cases.

 For Louis, that was something of an inconvenience.

Growing up, he’d always been rubbish at cooking. Maybe it was because he was bitter—the idea that he was _supposed_ to cook just because he was an omega had always put him off. After presenting, he’d purposefully pulled away from the kitchen and his mum’s attempts at teaching him. How he’d then landed in culinary school of all places, well…

It seemed like a good idea at the time. Ironic maybe? A little rebellious, even. Omegas tended to mate directly out of secondary school, which often meant they didn’t further their education. Louis had been courted while he was in school still, but rejected those alphas the same way he rejected society's expectations; without much consideration. It wasn’t that he disliked being omega. On the contrary, he was quite pleased with his status. One day he’d even like to do the whole domestic thing—fall in love, mate, have babies…The thought alone filled him with the same warmth as it did for most omegas.

Just, he wanted those things on his own terms. And with the right alpha. There was nothing he hated more than being told what to do and when, and that wouldn’t be changing anytime soon. In the meantime, he was doing alright for himself. His job sucked, but the fact he _had_ it despite what society said? That meant everything.

Usually.

“I’m going to quit,” he decided, pacing around the room. His adorable omega boyfriend just watched, bemused. “I’m serious this time! Stop smiling.”

The thing was, Niall’s sunny disposition could snap him out of the worst mood, so they both knew this fit he was throwing would be over before it _really_ began. They’d been friends for as long as he could remember, always there for one another. From the basic things like school, to the intimate things like heats—it had been so natural when the friendship line blurred into something more.

Nowadays they didn’t have any boundaries with each other. They were two likeminded omegas who understood each other better than anyone. That was why they'd agreed that when the time came to mate, they'd find an alpha together—neither would settle on someone who didn’t want them both.

“You’re not a quitter, Lou,” Niall said, finally reaching out for his hand.

Louis’ pacing stopped, but he kept his eyes on their joint hands as Niall threaded their fingers together. “They hired _another_ alpha.”

“You knew they would.”

He scowled, but only briefly. “Doesn’t make it fair.”

“What did you expect? You’re not on suppressants anymore.”

“It shouldn’t matter,” he insisted, finally meeting his boyfriend’s concerned gaze. “It’s not like I lied to anyone. No one asked me if I was an omega.”

“Yeah, but you made it a point not to make it obvious until you’d already gotten the job,” Niall reminded him, which…okay, maybe that was true.

The thing was, suppressants were perfectly legal. A lot of omegas took them for short periods of time. Generally it was for health related purposes, or if their alpha was away while they were due for heat, but still. There was nothing wrong with the fact that he’d chosen to take them for the duration of culinary school, and remained on them until he secured a job. It wasn't even relevant.

Plus, he genuinely didn’t think his boss would care so much. It hadn’t once come up during the interview process, and it hadn’t been in any of the paperwork he’d signed (and yes, he’d checked). His inner omega was constantly preening from the praise he received for being such a great chef, and for doing such a great job despite not being an alpha. He’d been promoted to sous chef in his first _year_ which was almost unheard of in the industry.

How was he supposed to know that would fall to shit just because he stopped taking the pills?

“I should’ve just stayed on them.”

“No, you shouldn’t have. You hit your five year mark,” Niall said, his tone grim. While suppressants were legal, long term use did have its side effects. Any more than five years and there was no guarantee an omega would be able to carry children. That was a risk he and Niall had agreed he couldn’t take. “It’s not like you could’ve applied for the opening anyway.”

“They were practically begging me to apply before they found out,” Louis complained, raking his free hand through his hair. “Betas almost never get the opportunity to be executive chef.”

“You’re not beta, Lou. If you’d applied, _that_ would’ve been a lie. Omegas aren’t allowed.”

“That’s bullshit.”

“Yeah, it is. But you know…it is what it is, right?”

Louis snorted. Leave it to Niall to throw his own life philosophy back in his face. “Suppose you have a point. Very wise words.”

“Who knows, maybe this one will be nicer than the last?”

“Already met him. It only took twenty minutes for him to use his alpha voice,” Louis said, rolling his eyes.

It was Niall’s turn to scowl. “Asshole.”

He nodded in agreement. “I didn’t even _do_ anything yet, is the funny thing. I mean, I know I run my mouth on occasion, but not this time.”

“What’d he try to make you do?”

“The usual one word commands, like I’m an idiot who doesn’t know how to stir,” Louis said, his words laced with disdain.

“Did you do it?”

“Course not. There _is_ such a thing as over-stirring,” he said exasperatedly. “If he’s smart, he won’t try that again. We only survived the dinner rush because of me.”

“Do you want a good cuddle?”

Louis tried to fight the smile pulling at the corner of his mouth, but failed miserably as Niall’s face lit up. A good cuddle was _exactly_ what he needed.

 

\---

 

If only Niall cuddles were transportable…

It was times like these that he wished his boyfriend didn’t have a job, just so he would always be available for moral support. Of course, he knew that wasn’t a fair train of thought—they were a team, and they respected each other’s desire to work. Not to mention the fact he would lose even _more_ of his co-workers’ respect if he took a break just to cuddle another omega in the corner until his afternoon turned around, but that was beside the point.

To say it was a rough day would be an understatement.

“Having an omega here is a liability,” the restaurant owner had explained—the same man who had hired him and commended his work ethic repeatedly.

And then he’d promptly offered to _pay_ Louis to quit, since omega rights activists would be up in arms if he were fired and took the story to the press. As if that weren’t offensive enough, the offer had been made right in front of his co-workers. Most had rallied behind their boss, especially the alphas. People he’d known and worked with for nearly two years now.

Apparently his presence was _distracting_ , but really, it was obvious they just didn’t like the fact he was their sous chef. What alpha wanted an omega ranked above them? The betas didn’t seem to mind as much, but in a society where alphas were on top, their opinions didn’t matter much more than his own.

Louis had chosen to be stubborn, naturally. “Too bad, I’m staying,” he’d decided, getting right back to work.

They had a big night to prep for. Some rich bastards had rented out the entire dining hall, which meant the food had to be perfect. There actually wasn’t a _ton_ to do—it was only a table of four. But they had to have the entire menu available, plus be ready for any random special requests (which seemed likely—alphas who threw their money around had no qualms making outrageous requests).

“I think we’ve got it from here,” Louis said, looking around the kitchen. Everything was prepped and stored appropriately, just waiting to be cooked. There was no need for a full kitchen staff to stay at this point—they’d inevitably get in the way. “We can probably send everyone else home.”

Eric, the new alpha executive chef, glared harshly at him. “If I wanted to send people home, they’d be gone already.”

“Right, well. We’re only serving a table of four. Having six of us back here doesn’t make much sense, now does it?” Louis countered, hands on his hips. “But if you’d rather us be tripping over each other, that’s fine. It _is_ your call, after all.”

“Everyone’s staying. You can thank your sous chef for that,” Eric declared, earning Louis a few disgruntled sighs from around the room. “You’ll stay out of the way unless you’re told otherwise—wouldn’t want anyone tripping. I’ll let you know if I have something useful for you to do.”

Louis bit his tongue at that. Would Eric really have sent everyone home if he’d kept his mouth shut? His last executive chef let _him_ make those decisions, especially on nights like this where they were the only two allowed to prepare the meals (because _their_ asses were the ones on the line). Of course, that had been when the staff still assumed he was beta.

Something told him Eric would’ve acted this way regardless. He was definitely giving off the ego-alpha vibes, so he probably wouldn’t respect a beta’s opinion either.

One of their servers for the night poked a head in the kitchen. “They’re here. I’d expect an appetizer order in the next few minutes.”

Louis stood by one of the ovens patiently, arms folded across his chest as he waited. It would be _more_ than a few minutes, knowing these rich people. They’d be perusing the wine list, finding the most expensive bottle just because they could. If they were hoping to impress someone, they’d pretend to be curious about which expensive bottle would pair best with which expensive meal…

And then they’d pick an appetizer and want it ready in five minutes.

“Didn’t I just tell you to stay out of the way?”

“Are you serious?” Louis asked, arching a brow. Eric was towering over him, looking very serious. “What, you want to do this alone? You _just_ started working here. I’ve been handling this menu for—”

“Either stay out of my way, or get out of my kitchen. I can handle dinner for four on my own.”

“You’re making a mistake,” he grumbled, though he did as requested without further argument.

Truthfully, any one of their kitchen staff could handle dinner for four. The menu was sophisticated, but it wasn’t complicated. It just so happened these four diners paid a lot more money, which meant they were entitled to being a lot pickier. Not to say their standards were low for anyone else—on the contrary, it was a five star restaurant for a reason. Louis debated mentioning the fact that he was the one who prepared the food that earned them that rating, but he thought better of it when he saw how focused Eric was.

Bruschetta was serious business, apparently. Serious and not on their menu…Of course the special requests had begun already. At least it looked like Eric wasn’t thrown off already. A bit of tunnel vision, but he seemed calm.

“Can you stop glaring at me?” Louis snapped, looking from left to right. The other staff members were on either side of him, and it was hard to pay attention to Eric while they were watching him like that. “I’m sorry you’re all stuck here, okay? I tried my best to get him to let you go.”

“That’s not why we’re upset,” Gabi, a beta who he’d gotten along with quite well, said.

“We’ve worked together for a long time now. I’m the same person I’ve always been.”

“You lied to us for two years!”

The incredulity in her tone stung as much as the truth in her words. “It’s not like I lied on purpose, it just never came up. And, you know, I’m not sorry because I probably never would’ve gotten this job if it had. I _deserve_ to be here, and you all know it. We’ve done good work together.”

That seemed to shut them up really fast, though no one was quick to agree. Louis just sighed, watching Eric send out the completed appetizers. So far so good. He’d seasoned everything, and the plating looked nice…It was fair to assume it would taste good, given the fact that Eric wasn’t a complete culinary novice.

As obnoxious as the alpha was so far, Louis knew the owner wouldn’t hire just anyone.

The meal ticket came through a short while later, and Louis watched carefully as Eric got started. It wasn’t hard to figure out what had been ordered. Their signature steak dinner, some kind of pasta primavera, a chicken kebab platter…He was getting started on the side soups and salads as well, all for the same meals. Something was missing though, unless two of the four were sharing. Or maybe someone hadn’t shown up.

“Arrabiata,” Eric said, finally looking at the kitchen staff. “I haven’t made it in years, and it’s not on the menu. Who’s familiar with it?”

“I am,” Louis replied with a forced smile.

It was actually a really easy sauce to make—spicy and garlicy. If Eric had _really_ looked into the restaurant, he’d know it used to be on their menu. It was removed nearly a year ago because it wasn’t ordered often, but it _had_ received a stellar review in the papers before that. Usually when it was ordered these days it was because someone remembered that review.

“Anyone else?” Eric asked, looking at the staff expectantly. At least three of them had been around when it was still on the menu, but for whatever reason, no one said a word. The alpha sighed, gesturing for Louis to join him in the kitchen. “Don’t touch anything else, and don’t plate it before I’ve tasted.”

“Do you want me to help with any of the sides?”

“No, just the arrabiata.”

And then he was back to work. Louis rolled his eyes, but quickly brushed off his frustration. He had a meal to prepare, and he’d be damned if it wouldn’t be the best arrabiata ever. Before he started prepping his produce, he got a vat of water boiling, holding off on dropping his pasta. It was definitely too soon for that.

“You know you’re fired if that’s not perfect, right?”

Louis didn’t even look up, already in the zone. This was something he could ace in his sleep—he wouldn’t let some alpha make it out to be a high pressure, complicated meal. When he was satisfied with his produce, he got it working in a sauté pan, seasoning it with a practiced hand. He glanced over at Eric’s work, wanting to make sure his wasn’t done early—it only made sense for three meals to take a little longer than one. His ingredients were coming together perfectly in the meantime.

“Seven minutes,” Eric announced, which…it looked more like ten to Louis, but oh well.

“Do you need penne for that primavera?” he asked, about to drop his pasta. The alpha grunted, which he took to mean _yes,_ so he was sure to put down extra.

And then he waited.

“Do you need any help?” Louis offered, happy with how his sauce was coming together.

“No.”

“This is ready to taste. Penne will be up in two.”

Eric stepped into his space, pulling out a tasting spoon and sampling the sauce. His face remained stoic as ever. “It’ll have to do.”

Louis chose to take that as a compliment, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as Eric went back to work. The pasta was done perfectly a minute later, Eric pushing Louis aside to portion out what he needed first. And then some. There was just enough for Louis’ dish, so he didn’t really care. They both knew Eric would be sabotaging himself if he took _too_ much—he was just being spiteful because he could.

“Where’s the server?” Eric demanded, almost right on cue as two entered the kitchen.

They finished plating, making sure everything looked pretty and presentable before passing the various entrees to the servers. They’d already brought out the side soups and salads at some point, and seemed to be in good spirits—always a good sign. If the servers were happy, that generally meant the diners were happy as well.

“That went well,” Louis said, another forced smile on his face as he eyed Eric. “Your plates looked nice.”

“I’m not an omega. I don’t need praise to know I’ve done a good job,” Eric told him, that harsh look returning to his face. “I’ve been working in this industry for years now—of course my plates were perfect.”

“Look, I know we got off on the wrong foot, but I’m not going anywhere. It’d be better if we could figure out a way to keep things civil,” he suggested, every word a hit to his own pride. He was ready to snap and yell at this stupid alpha, but that wouldn’t do him any good—the last thing he wanted was to be sidelined like this again.

“If you want to play housewife, go find an available alpha. Your place isn’t in a professional kitchen.”

“My _place_ is wherever I damn well decide it is. It’s not for you or any other narrow minded alpha to decide.” So much for not snapping. “This place was only four stars before I got here. I’m the one who prepared the meals for every critic and every rating, so don’t tell me I don’t belong. I’ve got a list of respected people in the industry who’ve said otherwise.”

“Um, excuse me?” Louis and Eric were drawn from their glare-off, eyes shifting to the beta server who’d entered the kitchen. “They’d like to speak with the chef.”

“Stay here,” Eric snarled, composing himself before leaving the kitchen.

Louis shook his head, but stayed put. “Compliments, or complaints?” he asked, eyeing the server.

“I’m not sure,” the man responded quietly. “They all seemed happy at first.”

“At first?”

The server nodded. “When I went to check how everything was, they all got very serious. The man who asked for the chef looked a little mad, but you know how alphas are when they make demands. That could just be how he asks for things.”

“Could be,” he agreed, his heart racing anxiously. It wasn’t _that_ often that diners asked to see the chef—usually only critics bothered. “What was he eating? The one who asked?”

“The arrabiata.”

“Shit,” he muttered, biting his lower lip.

Was this it? Eric would have every reason to follow through with his threat if there was a complaint—he’d be fired without hesitation. Louis moved over to the extra sauce, taking another test spoonful. It was a bit cold now, but the flavors were spot on. He was sure the pasta had been properly, too.

“Lou, you’ve nailed that dish hundreds of times,” Gabi said, catching him off guard. He looked at his co-worker with wide eyes, only to find the other chefs nodding in agreement. His inner omega sighed in relief, overwhelmed by the fact that he might not have lost their respect after all. “There’s no way it’s a complaint.”

“He’ll take credit for it then,” Louis realized, not quite sure how to feel about that.

It was better than being fired, and it wasn’t like these diners were professional critics. Would it always be this way though? Would his success never be his own again?

“They want you too, Louis,” the second server said, popping into the kitchen.

“Sure,” he said, straightening out of chefs coat. He glanced down, making sure he didn’t have any embarrassing stains from the sauce, then washed his hands again for good measure. “Did you overhear anything? What am I in for?”

“I don’t know,” the second server responded with a shrug. “They were asking Eric a lot of questions. It was really tense.”

Louis gulped. If a beta could feel how tense it was, that wasn’t a good thing. He _belonged_ here though, and he wouldn’t be run off by a couple alphas butting heads. His head was held high as he approached the one occupied dining table, a nervous smile on his face as he felt several pairs of eyes on him.

There were three very handsome men at the table—alphas. All dressed in fancy suits. That was about the only thing they had in common, physically. One had long, curly hair that Louis felt the inexplicable desire to touch, and piercing green eyes. Another had the prettiest eyelashes he’d ever seen, with sharp cheekbones and a small smirk that said he knew _exactly_ what Louis was thinking. The last almost looked like a puppy, with warm brown eyes…He was the one with the arrabiata, too.

The fourth person at the table was a beautiful omega female—a busty blond with a bright smile. There were no marks on her neck, so he assumed they were courting her…renting out the restaurant to impress her, most likely.

“You’re an omega,” green eyes said, sounding more surprised than condescending.

“I am,” Louis said, holding back the _no shit_ that was on the tip of his tongue. His job was potentially on the line here, so he clasped his hands behind his back respectfully. “I was told you wanted to see me?”

“Did you make this?” the puppy looking one asked, gesturing toward the arrabiata. His voice was much harder than his features—enough to cause Louis’ heart rate to spike anxiously.

“Yes,” he admitted, but not before noticing the smug look on Eric’s face.

“And you feel you did a satisfactory job?” the one with the eyelashes asked, getting a giggle from their female date.

Louis refrained from rolling his eyes, though he couldn’t help digging his nails into his palms behind his back. The way they were looking at him…This wasn’t like the times he’d met with critics after they’d eaten his food. There were no pleased smiles and pats on the back. Just intense, indecipherable stares.

“I think I did an excellent job,” Louis replied, keeping his tone as casual as possible.

“Louis,” Eric said, shooting him an annoyed look.

“What? He asked for my opinion, and I gave it. I’m not going to lie just because they might disagree,” the omega said, shrugging unapologetically. He turned his attention back to the table, not liking the way Eric looked like he wanted to attack him. “I always stand by my food. I’d be happy to make you something else if it wasn’t up to your standards though.”

“Did you make this, too?” the one with the lashes asked, pointing to the primavera in front of their omega. “It’s easily the worst meal on the table. We expected better for our lovely guest.”

Louis casually ignored the way the omega at the table preened at the compliment, focusing on what was being asked of him instead. “I made the penne. Our executive chef handled the sauce.”

“That’s not true,” Eric interjected, drawing everyone’s attention. “I apologize for his behavior, and for any issues with his food. Rest assured, he won’t be working here after tonight—we have high standards, and we don’t tolerate liars. I’ll personally make any replacement meal of your choosing.”

“Excuse me?” Louis huffed, completely indignant. “I’ve already admitted to making the arrabiata—why would I admit to making one dish they didn’t like, but not the other?”

“Actually, the arrabiata is the best I’ve ever had,” the puppy-like one said, his tone laced with amusement.

That perked Louis right up. “I’m glad you think so. It’s received a number of positive reviews, back when it was on our menu.”

“You worked here then?”

“I’ve been here for two years.”

Green eyes looked more and more interested. “Did you go to culinary school, or are you self-taught?”

“School, of course. This is a five star restaurant—as Eric told you, the standards here are quite high.”

“But one of you made that,” the puppy alpha said, gesturing toward the barely touched primavera. “We’ll definitely need a replacement meal.”

Louis nodded in understanding. “If you’d like, I can make the same dish. Primavera is actually one of my specialties,” he offered, glancing at the omega. It was her food after all. “Or, if you had something else in mind, I’m sure I can make it happen.”

She looked to the alphas at the table, like she needed their opinions first. There seemed to be a silent consensus among them, all three nodding. “You can make the same dish,” the woman said, not looking away from the alphas.

“Very well. I’ll be back shortly.” He turned on his heel, slumping a bit as he realized Eric was following him with a death glare.

“Actually, Eric,” one of the alphas said, catching both their attention. “If you could stay here, we have some questions about the dessert menu.”

Louis breathed an audible sigh of relief as he entered the kitchen, so glad to be free of Eric for the time being. No doubt it would be a rough night when this was over, but for now, he was floating. They _liked_ his meal, and they _didn’t_ like one of Eric’s. He brushed off the questions of his co-workers as he got right to work, going through the familiar motions.

Sauces were easy to make. If Eric’s had been bad, it was probably under seasoned. Or it broke, maybe. Both were unacceptable in a restaurant of this quality, so Louis kept that in mind as he made his.

Soon enough his water was boiling, and the sauce and veggies were coming together nicely. Everything looked and smelled right…there was no doubt this would be delicious, unless the real problem was the fact that the girl just didn’t _like_ primavera.

A tasting spoonful later, and he was confident in what he’d made. He took his time plating despite the nagging voice in his head telling him not to keep those alphas waiting, and then he was on his way back to the table. A server had offered to take it, but frankly, Louis wanted to see for himself what happened next.

“Apologies for the wait,” he said, watching eagerly as the girl took a tentative forkful.

“It’s much better,” she said slowly, much to the approval of her alphas. “It’s a shame you didn’t make it like this the first time.”

If Louis wasn’t sure he’d have three very angry alphas scolding him, he would’ve corrected her on the spot, but…as it were, he was having a hard enough time under Eric’s glare. _You’re a professional,_ Niall had reminded him that morning. He could handle this.

“I’m glad you like it,” he ground out, smiling tightly. “I’d hate for there to be any confusion though. I’m happy to consent to alpha questioning, if you’d like to clarify anything about this evening.”

“Excuse me?” the girl squeaked, eyes wide.

He couldn’t blame her. It was considered invasive for alphas to use their voice on omegas they didn’t know. An omega consenting to it was the loop hole, but it wasn’t done often. Alpha voices were a scary thing to fall under. Strong-willed omegas could pull against it, but even then, the alpha would feel the resistance. They’d know for sure if Louis tried to lie.

“That’s not appropriate,” Eric said decisively, as if he had any right—as if he hadn’t ordered Louis around without consent the day before.

“It’s my decision. I take my job very seriously, and I’m not going to lose it over a meal that I didn’t prepare,” Louis insisted, turning his attention to the diners.

And, yeah. They all looked a bit uncomfortable about what he’d proposed. Surely they were more reasonable than Eric though. Maybe? They were definitely hard to read.

His hopes began to dwindle as the room remained silent.

“You know, I actually know the owner. That’s why we picked this restaurant for tonight," the puppy alpha revealed, glancing at the other two alphas. “The arrabiata was fantastic, and she’s enjoying her primavera now. How about we leave it at that?”

“If you’re not going to put in a formal complaint, then I suppose I won’t have to let the owner know about his mistake,” Eric conceded. Louis couldn’t hold back his eye roll this time, but he _did_ manage to bite his tongue again. “We’ll get out of your hair. Let us know if you need anything else.”

“Enjoy the rest of your evening,” Louis said, yanking his arm back as Eric tried to tug him along. He was met with three cold stares as he turned back to the table, causing him to shrink back a bit. “Thank you, by the way. You should try the shortcake if you’re staying for dessert.”  Because dessert would definitely wipe those looks off their faces.

“Is that something _you_ made?” green eyes asked, softening almost immediately.

“I wouldn’t recommend it otherwise,” Louis replied with a smile.

No need to mention the fact that desserts really weren’t his specialty, or that shortcake was one of the few that he could nail every time. He stared at the alpha for a second too long before waving awkwardly, scurrying out of the room. That man was beautiful. They were _all_ beautiful, really.

But they were on a date. He wasn’t one of those omegas who intruded on another omega’s date, nor was he the type to flirt while he was at work. Plus, Niall would have to approve before he expressed any real interest, and that just wasn’t possible. Not that he was interested anyway—it would take a lot more than some good looks to catch his eye. And _they_ certainly weren’t interested either. Just curious, maybe.

A lot of alphas were curious when they found out about his job. Curious or skeptical. Both in this case.

It wasn’t like he’d see them again anyway, so he pushed all thoughts aside. Eric was already yelling before he’d entered the kitchen, and that wasn’t a good sign.

 

**\---**

 

Harry knocked on Liam’s office door, not waiting for permission before entering. Anyone else would be in for an earful, but not him or Zayn. They were partners, after all—in business and in life. Zayn was already seated across from Liam’s desk, both men laughing at some joke he’d missed.

Their smiles brought a smile to his own face right away. “What’d I miss?”

“We were just talking about the Huntsberg case,” Zayn explained, glancing happily over his shoulder. “They settled today.”

“After all that talk about how they’d never?”

“That’s what they always say,” Liam said, shaking his head with a smirk. “We came out with twenty percent more than expected.”

“That’s good news.”

Zayn arched a brow. “You don’t sound happy about it.”

“I am,” Harry shrugged. “I guess I’m just used to it. We always come out ahead, whether we win or settle.”

The other alphas nodded in agreement, a bit more enthusiastic about their success. “What’s on your mind, then?” Liam asked curiously.

“I’ve been thinking about Louis,” Harry admitted, looking from Zayn to Liam to gauge their reactions. To anyone else they would appear indifferent, but he could see the way both their eyes were glinted with interest. “I can’t get him off my mind.”

“Does that mean we all agree that courting Amber is a bad idea?” Zayn clarified, breathing a sigh of relief when Liam jumped to agree and Harry just snorted. “Thank God.”

“She was nice,” Liam said in defense. He was always like that—quick to be as kind as possible when it came to rejecting someone, especially omegas. “She’s just not a good fit for us.”

“Nice? Sure she was, until she found out we’re loaded,” Zayn corrected, shaking his head. “Then she was a vulture.”

Liam frowned. “We _did_ go overboard, renting out an entire restaurant on a first date.”

“It would’ve been romantic if it hadn’t ended with her asking us to buy her a new car.”

“That’s not _exactly_ how it went.”

Harry laughed to himself as they bickered, both recounting the events a bit differently. Liam was right, for the most part. She’d been a bit more subtle, dropping hints about the things she’d be willing to do if it meant getting the things she needed. Not once did she outright ask for a car, even if she made it known that she appreciated having three handsome gentlemen around to bring her places because hers was in the shop and might not make it.

That girl definitely had her eye on the prize, but the reality was, they’d told her from the start they weren’t looking to mate. At most, they were interested in a few dates and some casual sex. If she _happened_ to catch their interest beyond that, they wouldn’t be opposed—it just wasn’t something any of them expected.

They were…particular. Something casual was fun with anyone, but something serious? Between the three of them, they all had a different idea of what they wanted in an actual mate. The most important thing though, was that they found someone who wanted _all_ of them.

On the surface that sounded simple. What omega wouldn’t want three incredibly attractive, successful alphas? But the reality was, three alphas could be a lot for a single omega to handle. Especially with how intense they could get. The last person they’d seriously considered had grown overwhelmed within a month, and they weren’t even _that_ protective yet.

So, yeah. If it happened, it happened. But if not, they were willing to wait. As much as Harry wanted a romantic happily ever after with an omega, he wanted these two just as badly.

“Well, at least we got something out of the date,” Harry said after a minute, a smile returning to his face.

“The sex wasn’t that great,” Zayn replied, shrugging.

“I meant _Louis._ We wouldn’t have met him if she hadn’t complained about her meal.”

Liam hummed in agreement. “It was pretty bad. Do you think he actually made that first one?”

“No,” Harry answered, furrowing his brows. “Why would he offer to let us use our voices if he had?”

“He’s got a lot of nerve,” Liam said, clearly impressed. “Not many omegas would’ve played that card.”

“Because it’s dangerous to go around letting random alphas do that. He’s lucky we’re not the type to take advantage. If he was our omega and he did that, he wouldn’t be walking for a week.”

And okay, maybe Zayn had a point. But then again, the types of alphas who would take advantage weren’t the type to wait for permission. “He seems like the kind who’d fight it,” Harry decided, both other alphas considering it for a moment before nodding in agreement. “I like that. Not all omegas have that kind of confidence.”

“Not all omegas work as chefs either. It’s kind of ironic, isn’t it? They’re not really welcome in that profession,” Zayn noted, and _yes._ Harry liked that too. “I wonder what his story is.”

“You mean if he puts up with that every day?” Liam asked, Zayn quick to confirm it. “I hope not. If he hadn’t pulled back so fast when that alpha grabbed his arm, I would’ve said something.”

“About that…I don’t think he deserves to work in that kind of environment,” Harry began, taking it slowly to make sure he had their full attention. “I kind of have a plan.”

“Harry…whatever it is, you should get it out of your head right now,” Liam warned, his eyes too knowing. “He fought hard to make sure he wouldn’t lose his job. He obviously likes it there.”

“Unless you’re planning to buy the restaurant?” Zayn guessed, looking doubtful. “Because that’s a terrible idea. We’re lawyers. We wouldn’t know the first thing about running a restaurant.”

“No, I’m not planning to buy it,” Harry said quickly, filing that one as a distant back up plan. “I want to hire him. For us.” His boyfriends blinked, faces blank. “As a personal chef, I mean. At home. People do it all the time.”

“Not really.”

“Rich people do. It’s not like we can’t afford it, and we all know he’s really good.”

“Isn’t this a bit too elaborate? If you want him, I think it’d be better to just _ask_ him,” Liam said, like it was so simple.

“Yeah, but then he’d still be working there with that horrible man,” Harry persisted.

“At a five star restaurant, as an omega sous chef. It may not be as glamorous as it sounds, but I imagine he’s quite proud of what he’s accomplished. Why would he give that up to be a personal chef for some alphas he met once?” Liam pressed. Damn him and his common sense. “If you’re that concerned, we can call Ken. He owns the place.”

Harry sighed. “I called him earlier. I told him I was concerned, but he wouldn’t give me any information. I offered to pay to—”

“ _Harry,”_ Zayn interjected, dumbfounded. “You can’t be serious.”

“What? I just wanted to give him some incentive to make the place more omega friendly. A contribution to the business, is all,” he said, refusing to back down. “It doesn’t matter though. He said he owns the place, but he lets his executive chef run it. It sounded like he’s not thrilled to have an omega there in the first place, which doesn’t make sense considering he does the hiring.”

“What do you mean he didn’t sound happy about it?”

“He asked me at least six times if we had some kind of problem with the food, or if the chefs were rude when we spoke to them. Except he didn’t want to hear it when I said the problem wasn’t with Louis. It’s like he was hoping for a complaint.”

Liam’s frown deepened. “Ken always was a little bit of a beta supremacist. It’s one thing for an alpha to be executive chef, but he _would_ feel weird about an omega doing so well in a business he owns.”

“I forgot about that,” Zayn said, shaking his head with disdain. “He used to write those horrible articles back in college.”

Harry narrowed his eyes at the reminder. He never really _knew_ Ken that well back in school, but he knew what Zayn was talking about. “I’m getting Louis out of there.”

“You realize even if by some chance he agrees to come work for us, you’re sacrificing any chance you have at sleeping with him,” Liam warned, raising both brows. “We’d be his bosses. It’d be inappropriate.”

“It’s not…this isn’t about sex, okay? I think we’ve all proved we have no problem getting laid,” Harry said, gesturing around like it was going to help prove his point. They both smiled, seeming to get it. “This is about the best pasta arrabiata you’ve ever had being made for us every night if you want it.”

Liam laughed softly. “Fine. If you can get him to agree, it’s fine with me.”

“Me too,” Zayn agreed easily. “Just don’t get your hopes up, okay?”

“Okay. I’m gonna head out now, see if I can talk to him,” Harry told them, hopping to his feet. “See you at home.”

“Should we eat, or are we holding out for a fancy dinner?” Zayn teased, getting another laugh from Liam.

Harry just rolled his eyes, kissing them both on the cheek before headed out. They usually drove in together, but they kept one of their cars at the office for days like this when someone needed to go home separately. He’d just drive the car back and leave it at the office the next day.

It only took about twenty minutes to get across town, which was good—another thirty minutes or so and it would undoubtedly be dinner hour, which meant Louis would be too busy to talk. Assuming he was working in the first place. Thursdays were pretty busy restaurant days, so the odds seemed in his favor.

“Excuse me,” Harry said, wasting no time waving down one of the servers he recognized. It was one of the perks of being an alpha—it was very easy to get someone’s undivided attention. Normally Harry didn’t use that to his advantage outside of work, but there were exceptions to everything. “I was wondering if I could speak with Louis, the sous chef.”

The beta server hesitated a moment until Harry flashed a full dimpled smile. “They’re prepping still, but I’ll go see if he has a minute.”

“Thank you,” he responded, hands in his pockets as he waited somewhat patiently. At least three omegas in the dining hall were eyeing him, but he ignored it, focused on the task at hand. His heart sank when the server reappeared, no cute and curvy omega by his side.

“He’s on a break outside. I can bring you to him?”

The man looked a bit reluctant still, so Harry accepted right away, “Yes, please.”

They walked out the entrance which was a little weird, circling the building quickly. The beta gestured to a small parking area separate from the main lot, marked for employees only. Sure enough, Louis was there, leaning against the wall while talking on his cell phone. Harry thanked the server again before the man left him there, approaching the cute omega curiously.

“There’s been a mistake,” Louis insisted, glaring harshly despite the fact the person on the other end of the call couldn’t see his face. “I graduated more than two years ago. That’s all done with.”

There was a lull in his rage while he listened, and Harry couldn’t help overhearing the woman on the other end of the line. Alpha senses were particularly sharp.

 _“There’s no mistake, sir. Your scholarship paperwork had you listed as a beta,”_ the woman explained, completely unsympathetic.

“I’m an omega! I never listed that anywhere, on any paperwork.”

_“Your status has already been brought to our attention, and unfortunately that means you violated the terms of your scholarship. You’ll be billed for the sum you received, plus the violation fee.”_

“Violation fee? Are you insane? I didn’t—”

_“It was listed in the terms of your scholarship acceptance. All the appropriate paperwork will be mailed to you in five to seven business days.”_

“I have copies of all the original paperwork. There’s no way—”

_“For any additional help, you’ll have to call the customer service line. Would you like their number?”_

The omega let out a disgruntled noise, and Harry ached to reach out and comfort him…but he refrained. He watched as Louis pulled the phone away, presumably to check the time before telling the woman he’d call later. And then he hung up.

“Unbelievable,” he muttered, scrubbing his face with his hands. Eventually they dropped to his side, the omega staring motionlessly ahead for a solid minute. “I can smell you, you know. This is the employee entrance.”

“’m not here to eat,” Harry said, taking it as a cue to step closer.

Louis finally looked at him, blinking in surprise. “You…Did you decide you want to complain about me after all?”

“What? No! Of course not. You did an amazing job.”

“Oh. Well, thanks. Again. That doesn’t really explain why you’re here.”

“Are you okay?” Harry asked instead.

He could feel the anxiety rolling off the omega, and every instinct in his body was telling him to do something about it. If he wasn’t sure Louis would freak out, he’d pull him in for a cuddle on the spot.

“Fine. Just working through some personal stuff.”

“Is there any way I can help?”

Louis snorted. “Not unless you know any good lawyers.”

He raised both brows, aware that the omega had been joking. “Actually, I do. I’m a lawyer.”

“That’s not…I didn’t _literally_ mean,” Louis tried to explain, shaking his head almost frantically.

“Calm down,” he said, softly as he could. “If you want, we can set up a meeting and talk about it formally.”

“No offense, but I’m not hiring you. I’m not hiring _anyone_. All my paychecks for the next three years just went out the door. _Shit,”_ he cursed, stepping off the wall to pace around quickly.

“Whatever it is, I’m sure I can help. I’ve got a very good track record for winning.”

He came to an abrupt halt, looking up at Harry with nothing but confusion. “I don’t even know your name, and I’m supposed to believe you can solve all my problems?”

Harry couldn’t help smirking a little. “I didn’t say _all_ your problems, but I’m certainly open to hearing about more than whatever legal issue you’re having.”

“Right. That’s not creepy at all.”

“I’m Harry,” he said, extending a hand to the wary omega.

“Louis,” the omega responded, shaking it tentatively. “Why are you really here?”

“I want to offer you a job.”

Louis’ features shifted in surprise. “A catering gig? I don’t really do that kind of thing.”

“No, like an everyday kind of job.”

“What, are you a lawyer by day, restaurateur by night?”

“Just a lawyer,” Harry replied with a grin. “The alphas I was with the other night, we live together. We’re looking for a personal chef.”

“…You’re serious.”

“Completely. You made some of the best food we’ve had in ages. Everything else was mediocre at best. Whatever your salary is here, we could offer you more.”

“You could pay me double and I still wouldn’t be interested in being your pet omega.”

“I’m not interested in having a pet omega,” Harry replied with a shrug. “You’re a chef, and _that’s_ what I’m willing to pay good money for. Nothing else.”

“That’s not…that’s not how these things work,” Louis said, shaking his head. “You don’t show up at someone’s job and offer them another.”

“I know, but I had to start somewhere,” he tried, pulling out his wallet. He fumbled through it until he found one of the few business cards he bothered to keep on hand, offering it to the omega. “Why don’t we set up an actual interview? A job interview. Except you already have the job if you decide you want it, since we’ve already tried your food and loved it. I can tell you more about what we’re looking for, and answer any questions you have.”

“I’ve got to get back to work.”

“I understand. Call me tomorrow,” Harry told him, putting on his best smile.

Louis returned the smile before walking back inside the building, closing the employee’s only door behind him. If Harry stood there until the wind washed away the traces of the omega’s scent, well…no one else needed to know.

 

**\---**

 

Niall was crying.

It was one of those days when Louis _swore_ things couldn’t get any worse, but then he’d come home to this. The man who brought sunshine to his days, hugging a pillow to his chest as he sobbed in their bed.

“Baby, what’s wrong?” Louis asked, curling up behind his boyfriend in a relative panic.

That was probably the only bad thing about being in an omega/omega relationship—when one was stressed, it tended to rub off on the other. It wasn’t like he was an alpha…He couldn’t be the calm one even when the situation required one. The fact was, Niall couldn’t be comforted by his scent alone. He wasn’t big enough to hold Niall as securely as he deserved. Everything about it was all wrong.

It broke his heart. Never did he feel as useless as he did right now, clinging to his boyfriend while he waited to hear what had happened.

“I’m sorry,” he choked out, after several long minutes.

“Shh, don’t apologize,” Louis whispered, rubbing his back. “Take your time. Let it all out.”

And he did. It felt like hours went by before Niall spoke again, though it was really only about twenty minutes. Eventually he let go of the pillow, rolling over so he could bury his face in Louis’ chest.

“I got fired.”

And then he was in tears again, which was actually a tiny relief this time. If he’d seen the devastated look on Louis’ face, it would’ve only made the situation worse. Of course, he knew it wasn’t Niall’s fault—he knew all about the bullshit his boyfriend faced on a daily basis at work.

But their financial situation was far from sound.

He’d already taken a pay cut when his boss had found out he was an omega, and now there was the threat of having to pay back his scholarship money… _Shit._ They were in trouble.

“You’re a saint for working there as long as you did,” Louis said eventually, the moment he was sure his voice wouldn’t quiver. And it was the truth. Regardless of their finances, Niall needed to get out of that situation. “I’ve been telling you to quit for ages.”

It was a secretarial position at a hospital, which hadn’t been a bad job at first. He was quick on a computer, friendly with the patients, and smart enough to deal with insurance companies. For a long time, Niall really enjoyed his work even if it wasn’t what he’d always hoped and dreamed. He was helpful and respected, which was the best an omega could really hope for in the workforce.

The problem was, the hospital hired a particularly persistent alpha doctor a couple months back. Since then, it was an issue nearly every day. It started off with unwanted flirting and uncomfortable touches, and escalated from there. No matter who Niall complained to, it never helped.

“Honestly, this is a good thing,” he added, squeezing his boyfriend for good measure. “You needed to get out of there.”

“ _After_ I got another job. We’re already late on rent, Lou. What’re we gonna do?”

“I got paid today, remember? I’ll take care of rent.”

“We cancelled our cable package, sold all the stuff we don’t need. We’re gonna be on the streets at this rate.”

“No, we’re not,” Louis insisted, trying to do some quick math in his head. They could stay afloat this month. Probably. Except that stupid scholarship issue looming over them. Niall could have a new job before that became an issue though—who wouldn’t hire someone like him? “I hope you hit that creepy doctor in the face.”

Niall snorted inelegantly. “Almost. He touched my bum today, and I just lost it. Went off on him right in front of a roomful of patients.”

“Serves him right, the bastard.”

“Apparently not, since they fired _me.”_

“They were wrong, and you know what? You should sue them. I know a good lawyer.”

“Right,” Niall laughed, finally meeting his eyes. “How do you always know how to make me smile?”

“I don’t. I just know I’m not happy unless you do,” Louis told him, matter-of-fact. “It’s entirely selfish.”

“Well, whatever it is, it’s working. I feel a little better. Did you really get paid enough for rent?”

He did some quick math again, nodding his head. “Yeah. We’ll just have to cut down on groceries. Maybe I can sneak out some day old bread from work.”

“Don’t, Lou,” he warned, eyes pleading. “It’s against the rules, and they’re already looking for an excuse to fire you.”

“…What would you say if I told you I got a job offer today?”

“What kind of offer?”

Louis reached into his back pocket, pulling out what was now a wrinkly business card. “Remember that alpha group I told you about a few nights back? The ones that liked my food better than Eric’s?”

“Yeah.”

He handed Niall the card, watching as the fake blond glanced it over. “I was only half kidding about knowing a good lawyer. That’s one of the alphas I told you about—Harry. They live together, I guess. He said they’re looking for a personal chef.”

The red flags must’ve gone off in Niall’s head because he was already shaking it, eyes wide. “Personal chef, Lou?”

“I know. I thought the same thing, but I told him I wasn’t interested in being a pet, and he insisted that wasn’t what he meant,” Louis said, biting at his lower lip. “I don’t know why, but I _believed_ him.”

“You never believe alphas.”

“I know, it’s weird,” he muttered. It really was baffling. “The thing is, I had no intention of calling him, but…he said he’d pay me more than I’m making now.”

“At what cost though? You’re working in the best restaurant in the city. What critic’s going to try your food in this Harry Styles’ kitchen?”

“None. But what are _we_ going to eat if I don’t do this?” Louis countered, quick to trail a soothing hand down Niall’s side. The last thing he wanted was for Niall to feel responsible. “We didn’t have time to talk about all the details, but it couldn’t hurt to call him, right? Just to get more information?”

“…As long as you’re careful. I mean, if you leave your job now, there’s no going back. What if this guy changes his mind in two weeks?”

Louis frowned. It was a valid point, but he just couldn’t shake the feeling that wouldn’t happen. “This is going to sound weird, but I really want you to meet him. I feel like you’ll understand if you do. He’s just…I don’t know. He’s not a scary alpha.”

Niall quirked a brow. “None of them were, if I remember your story correctly. Is he the one with the long eyelashes?”

“Nah. He’s green eyes—the one with curly hair. Even taller than I expected,” Louis added, sure he was blushing when Niall _giggled._ “They were definitely an attractive group. But that’s not what this is about, I promise. I’ve met plenty of attractive alphas before.”

“Well, if you take the job, I definitely want to meet them. Not that I don’t trust your judgment, but it’s not a public restaurant. I need to make sure you’re safe.”

“Course. If we don’t look out for each other, who will?”

“I love watching your back,” Niall said, pinching Louis’ bum for good measure. He rolled his eyes, but the effect was lost thanks to his fond smile. “And you love me.”

“I do love you,” he confirmed. “And you love my bum.”

“Tell me more about this Harry Styles. Does he smell nice?”

“Uh, yeah. Very. If I wasn’t in a very committed relationship, I might’ve considered jumping into his arms and scenting him when he was trying to calm me down.”

“…Calm you down?”

 _Shit._ He hadn’t planned to bring that up tonight, but he wasn’t used to holding things back from Niall. “I got a call today, and it kind of…startled me. I’ll tell you about it tomorrow.”

“Why tomorrow?”

“You only just started smiling again, and I don’t want it to go away.”

“Now you _have_ to tell me,” Niall demanded, making sure not to smile. “I won’t be able to sleep if I’m worried.”

Louis took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Remember how I went to school on scholarship?” he asked, waiting for Niall to nod his head. “Yeah, well. They’re trying to say I applied as a beta, and that I owe them all the money back. And then some.”

“ _What?”_

“That’s what I said. I definitely didn’t apply as a beta,” Louis said adamantly.

“I know you didn’t. I read over the paperwork with you!”

“I know, and I’ve got copies, so I’m sure it’ll all be fine. It just caught me off guard. I mean, it’s a lot of money, and it’s so out of the blue.”

“Is it?” Niall huffed.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, your boss finds out you’re an omega, and a week later you get this call?”

“…You think he called them?”

“I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“I just don’t get it. He always really liked me,” Louis said, heart plummeting. “Out of everyone, he was the last person I expected to act this way, you know? He always made it a point to say alphas didn’t have to run the show.”

It was Niall’s turn to cuddle up close to him, peppering his face with kisses. “Forget that jerk. I shouldn’t have brought him up.”

“But you’re right, it’s a bit of an odd coincidence.”

“Even more reason to consider the job offer,” Niall said slowly, sliding the business card back into Louis’ pocket. “Assuming I don’t decide Harry’s no good.”

“It does seem a bit too good to be true. I think I remember one of them saying they know my boss.”

“…You think maybe Ken told them to play nice to get you out of there?”

Louis frowned as he thought it over. Under normal circumstances, that’s exactly what he’d think. He’d assume this handsome alpha was trying to lure him away, just to fire him at the first opportunity—problem solved for Ken. An omega being unjustly fired from a popular restaurant was newsworthy, but an omega being fired as a personal chef? People would assume he was more of a servant than anything, and omega servants were fired all the time.

But Harry just _really_ didn’t seem the type to do that.

“You don’t,” Niall realized, watching him closely. “I really do need to meet this guy. You never give an alpha the benefit of the doubt.”

“If I have to earn their respect, they have to earn mine.”

“Except Harry.”

“I didn’t say that! I mean, I really just can’t bring myself to think the worst about him, but…I know I should. I’ll be on my toes when I call him.”

“You don’t think he’s the one, do you?”

Louis scoffed. “No! You know I don’t believe in the whole one alpha, one omega thing.”

“Then maybe we’re both meant to be with him.”

“If you recall correctly, he was on a date with an omega when I met him,” Louis said, smiling indulgently. Optimistic Niall was adorable. “Not to mention the other two other alphas he was with. I don’t know the full story, but it sounds like a pack to me.”

Niall pouted a little. “Well, you wouldn’t want to get involved with your potential bosses anyway.”

“I wouldn’t,” he agreed, firm about that. It was bad enough he was already considering working as a personal chef—to cross the line with an employer would make it feel too much like being the stay at home omega he never wanted to be. “Are we in a rush now? You’re not usually this interested in talking about alphas.”

“You’re not usually open minded about any of the ones we meet,” Niall replied with a shrug. “With everything going on, I keep thinking it’d be nice to have someone, you know? Not that what we have isn’t enough because it _is.”_

The words still hurt, but he couldn’t say that Niall was wrong. Not when both their sadness lingered in the air, and neither could truly soothe it away for the other. They were in their early twenties, and neither had even experienced omegaspace. From what they’d been taught, that was the ultimate getaway from overwhelming situations. Something Niall definitely could’ve used after being fired.

It wasn’t safe for omegas to touch each other’s omega spot—a sensitive patch of skin on the back of their neck. A little pressure could calm an omega down, but a little more could ease them into omegaspace…which wasn’t easy to come back from without an alpha’s touch and scent to reach them while they were under.

And that was just the tip of the iceberg. There were tons of things they’d never experienced. They’d only been with each other, so neither had the chance to be knotted. That made their heats painful, even with each other around to help out. They’d never scented an alpha either, which sounded like something they’d both really like to do. Not to mention how nice it would be to just be taken care of for once, instead of constantly worrying about each other. Just because they were both independent for omegas didn’t mean they didn’t yearn to let go at times.

Of course, being with each other was always worth it…it just wasn’t always easy.

“I know what you mean. We can’t keep this up forever.”

“No, we can’t. I want to have pups, Lou.”

He blinked in surprise. They’d talked about this before, but it had always been more of a long term plan than anything. “Now?”

“Not right away, but we’ve done good, haven’t we? A few years back, mating would’ve felt like giving up, but now? It feels like the right time to find someone. I still want to get a new job, and do things outside our home, I just…”

“Want an alpha there to help out,” Louis concluded.

“Yeah.” They were both silent for a minute, lost in their own thoughts. “Are you mad?”

“How could I be? I feel the same way. I just don’t want to lose you. I can’t.”

“You won’t. I want you there just as much as an alpha, and you know I’m almost as picky as you when it comes to them. Remember the doctor I turned down? Not the jerk, but the other one?”

Louis nodded his head. How could he forget? A handsome, kind alpha that had expressed interest in Niall from day one. Something about him hadn’t settled well with Louis, and he’d felt terrible. Niall had obviously been hopeful about the guy, and he didn’t even have a good reason for saying no.

“I don’t regret it one bit,” Niall said, snapping Louis out of his guilt-ridden memories. “I’m glad we turned him down because I don’t want anyone that you don’t want.”

“I’ll do better,” he promised, bringing his lips to Niall’s to try to convey how much he meant it. “We’ll both get new jobs and start fresh. I’ll keep an open mind with any alphas we meet.”

The excitement finally overpowered the rest of Niall’s sadness, brightening the mood in the room with ease. “We’re going to find a mate.”

Louis’ heart rate sped up as he agreed, “Yeah, we are.”

 

\---

 

Harry was beaming as Louis walked into his office, looking so _different_ out of his chef’s uniform. Instead of his professional coat, cute hat, and waist apron, he was in skinny jeans of all things. And a t-shirt that seemed to hang off him in all the right places.

The omega had called him earlier about an interview, hoping to schedule it for the next day since he didn’t have proper clothes (he hadn’t been expecting to do an interview anytime soon, clearly), but Harry had insisted it didn’t matter.

And now he was glad he had. A dressed up Louis would’ve been nice too, but this…It looked more natural. Would this be what he would wear at the alphas’ home? It wasn’t like he’d need to be in any kind of uniform, other than maybe something to cover his hair. Really, as long as he smelled this sweet, Harry could care less what he was wearing.

“I’m glad you came,” Harry said, gesturing for Louis to take a seat across from his desk. He was looking around the office curiously, eyeing some of the artwork on the walls as he sat down. Harry couldn’t help noticing the folder he was clutching, but held back on asking—he didn’t want to run Louis off by sounding too demanding. “I guess I should be honest and tell you that we’ve never actually had a private chef before. This is all new to me.”

Louis quirked a brow. “Why the sudden need for one then?”

“We’re busier lately. The firm’s been doing better each year,” he explained, keeping it as vague as possible. “I did some research to see how these arrangements normally work though, and it’s pretty much what we had in mind when we decided we’d like to hire someone.”

“Okay, well, I guess we should talk about that then. I’ve got a pretty good understanding of what it entails—what I’d expect,” Louis said, growing more and more confident with each word. “The thing is, you might think my job is shitty because what you saw at the restaurant, but really, it’s great.”

He handed the folder to Harry, who opened it without hesitation. Inside were pages and pages of printouts—articles, it seemed. Upon closer inspection, he saw they were reviews from the restaurant Louis worked at.

“Every single one of those were from meals I personally prepared,” the omega continued, smiling a bit when Harry didn’t try to hide how impressed he was. “I’m the first omega to work in a five star restaurant in a long time, and there’s a good reason for that. I don’t intend to take any less than I deserve just because you may or may not be nicer than Eric.”

“I don’t want you to settle,” Harry promised, flipping to a page that was more like a financial print out. He was actually making a lot _less_ than Harry expected, but he wasn’t quite sure how to put that kindly. He had to try though, “I’ve looked into the average salaries for private chefs, and it would only be fair to pay someone with your reputation more than this.”

The omega looked surprised for a moment before nodding firmly. “I agree. I refuse to be paid less just because I’m an omega.”

“I wouldn’t do that. We can work out a specific number after we’ve gone over everything else.”

“Good. As long as we’re on the same page,” Louis said, relaxing in his seat. “So, how many meals a day and how many days a week?”

“That depends. Our schedules vary most days—we’re up early, and we work late most nights,” he explained, eyeing the omega to gauge his reaction. So far so good. “Ideally we’d want you as a live-in chef, but only if you’re comfortable. We’d be willing to pay you more for any inconvenience.”

Louis frowned, but he didn’t look like he wanted to run out the door. He must’ve heard about these types of arrangements—they were pretty common. “Live-in?”

“Right. We have plenty of room, so you wouldn’t have to pay rent or anything. You’d still have days off, but we’d want you around for our odd hours. Three meals a day, and we don’t always eat at the same time.”

“What about heats and ruts? I don’t want to be anywhere near your house during either.”

“We wouldn’t expect that,” he said quickly. Clearly that was a deal-breaker, and he didn’t blame the omega for that. “Maybe you could make a few meals in advance? We could arrange for you to stay elsewhere.”

The omega looked a bit skeptical, but nodded. “That sounds okay. In the interest of full disclosure, you should know I have a boyfriend.”

Harry kept his expression neutral despite the surge of disappointment he felt. “I’m really not surprised,” he admitted easily. An omega like this _would_ have a boyfriend. “It shouldn’t be an issue. Like I said, you’ll still have days off, and you won’t be working all hours of the day. You’ll have time to see him.”

“We live together,” Louis said, his voice growing quieter.

 _Oh._ That explained the sudden nervousness in the air. “If you don’t mind me asking, is he an alpha?”

“No.”

“That’s good,” Harry said, breathing a sigh of relief. And no, it wasn’t because that made him take this mystery boyfriend any less seriously. Nope...“Not that I’d have a problem if he was, it’s just he might have a problem with us. I wouldn’t want my omega working for three alphas I’d never met, much less _living_ with them.”

“Your omega?”

“Not that I have an omega,” he clarified quickly. “We don’t. We’ve been dating, but that’s all for now.” Louis studied him carefully for a long moment before opening his mouth, then promptly closing it. “If you have a question, I don’t mind answering whatever it is. That’s what this meeting is about.”

“I’m trying to decide how much of a pervert you are,” the omega admitted, laughing when Harry’s eyes went wide. “Sorry, I don’t always filter what I say. You’ll have to deal with that if you really want to hire me.”

“I’d prefer you to speak your mind, as long as you’re not being rude to me or the others.”

“Right. Then maybe you could do the same thing with me? Because I really can’t get a good read on you.”

“About the pervert thing?” Harry questioned, amused when Louis nodded. “I mean, I’m not trying to hire you to sleep with you, if that’s what you’re getting at. You’re lovely, but we don’t get involved with any of our employees.”

His face was red from the compliment, but he was shaking his head. “That’s good because I don’t get involved with people from work either. It’s not exactly what I meant though.”

“We won’t invade your privacy. There won’t be any cameras in your room or anything like that.”

“That’s good.”

Harry could see he was skeptical still, and really wished he could get inside that beautiful head. “I don’t know how specific you want me to be. I’m sure we fit more than a few alpha stereotypes, but definitely not all of them. I’m an omega rights attorney—I’d be the _last_ person to do something that would make you uncomfortable.”

Louis’ mouth hung open slightly. “Seriously?”

“You didn’t look into me at all?” Harry asked, a bit concerned. This mystery boyfriend should’ve suggested it at the very least. “I figured you would when I gave you my card.”

“I had other things on my mind last night.”

Like that phone call. The mood felt a bit too delicate to bring that up, so Harry just nodded understandingly, “Well, it’s okay if you want to look into the three of us more before we finalize any of this,” he offered, folding his hands on the desk. “Just know, all you’d have to do is tell us if we ever did something that bothered you, and I promise, it would never happen again.”

“My boyfriend’s an omega,” Louis revealed quickly, like he wouldn’t have been able to get it out otherwise.

Both Harry’s brows shot up, suddenly understanding where this whole pervert thing was going. Omega/omega relationships weren’t common, and a lot of alphas had a bit of a fetish. The idea wasn’t exactly unappealing to Harry either, but he meant what he said—none of them would invade Louis’ privacy, or do anything to make him uncomfortable.

“That’s fine,” Harry said after a minute, not sure what else to add.

“If you want me as a live-in chef, he’d have to move in with me. I’m not comfortable leaving him alone at our current flat.”

“I’ll have to run it by Liam and Zayn, but I honestly don’t think they’ll mind. Like I said, we have plenty of space, so you two would have plenty of privacy. The room I was thinking you’d take is more like a guest suite than a bedroom. You’ll have your own living space.”

Louis watched him for a moment like he was gauging the sincerity of his words, eventually cracking a smile. “You know, you’re really not like most alphas. You’re the first one I’ve ever told about Niall who didn’t immediately ask to watch us together. We’ve resorted to saying we’re just friends when we’re in public.”

That actually made Harry a bit angry, but it was hard to stay that way when Louis looked so amused by the whole thing. “You’ve met all the wrong alphas then. We’ve got more tact than that.”

“Clearly. You’re obviously curious, but you’ve got the sense not to say it,” Louis noted, and…okay. Harry wasn’t about to deny it.

“You’re incredibly attractive, and I’m sure your boyfriend is as well, but that doesn’t change what I said before. We don’t get involved with any of our employees.”

“Niall won’t be your employee.”

“We’d never try to interfere with anyone else’s relationship.”

“You know how alphas get protective over their omegas?”

“Of course.”

“We’re like that with each other. Consider this fair warning, I’m not a reasonable person to deal with when he’s upset. I might be tiny, but I work well with knives. I will take you or anyone else down if he gets hurt.”

Harry didn’t know whether to be impressed, turned on, or annoyed that his prospective _omega_ employee had literally just threatened his physical wellbeing, but…well, it didn’t really matter. He was just as irrational when it came to Liam and Zayn’s safety, and they were more than capable of looking out for themselves.

“It’s probably best if I’m the one to pass that message along to the others,” Harry said, smirking when Louis cracked another smile.

“Sorry,” he offered, not sounding sorry at all. “I know it’s bad etiquette to say things like that to my potential employer, but I really don’t care when it comes to Niall. He’s all I have, and…well, you’ll understand when you meet him. People are always drawn to him, and that’s not good for omegas.”

“I get it. Most of my cases deal with omega harassment, so I’ve seen some pretty horrible things. It’s good that you look out for each other.”

Louis raised an interested brow. “Harassment?”

“Yeah. Omega rights are violated all the time, usually in the workplace. It makes sense that you’d be wary of us, as your potential employers.”

“Well, for the record, I actually believe you—that you’re not going to be creepy toward either of us,” Louis said, sounding almost like he could barely believe himself. “I’ve been known to have bad judgment though, so…better safe than sorry when it comes to this stuff.”

“Definitely.”

“Maybe we should get back on subject?”

“Good idea,” Harry agreed, eyeing the time. He only had an hour free, and he wanted to make the most of it before getting back to work. “So, I’m not expecting you to do any extra house cleaning, but the kitchen is yours. Anything you use will be your responsibility to clean.”

“Sounds fair.”

“If there’s any special equipment you need that we don’t have, we’ll provide that.”

“Can I do the shopping? I’m a bit particular about the produce I use.”

“That’s fine, as long as we can cover the costs. I do prefer organic,” Harry said, which Louis looked very agreeable about. “We’re a bit picky about meats and eggs as well.”

“Cage-free, grass-fed? That sort of thing?”

“Exactly.”

“Then we’re on the same page, and I’m glad you’re paying.”

Harry smiled at that. “We’ll probably make special requests each week, but nothing you won’t have time to prepare for. You can make extra, of course—for you and Niall. The only thing is, that privacy conversation works both ways. It’ll probably be best if we eat separately.”

“Of course,” Louis agreed, like he was offended Harry felt the need to say it.

They went into the types of special requests more specifically, from the types of cuisine the alphas preferred to the types that Louis wasn’t willing to make. From homemade juices to light snacks, they hit on nearly everything that might come up on a day to day basis.

It seemed they were very in sync with one another, preferring the same types of food anyway. That made the entire conversation very easy. Louis’ main concern was that he would be able to prepare restaurant quality food at least once a day rather than being forced to prepare the home-style meals omegas were ‘expected to make’.

“We’re hiring you because you’re a chef,” Harry reiterated plainly. “Once in a while we might want something like that, but for the most part, that’s not what we’re looking for.”

Then they got into the boring bits—what days off Louis could expect (it would rotate each week, as they had dinners out with colleagues on miscellaneous nights and those were the ideal off days), what their hours were like on most days, how they’d need food that re-heated well for lunches, how often Louis would be expected to cook meals for guests…

“You’ll always know in advance if we’re having someone over for a meal,” he explained, quick to add that was generally once a week—or it would be, now that they were hiring a private chef. Louis looked excited about the idea of cooking for more than just five people, which was good. “If you don’t feel like you’ve been given enough warning, just let us know so we can do better the next time.”

“And you’ll let me know if it’s a romantic meal? Because some foods are definitely more romantic than others, and I’d hate to prepare the wrong thing and ruin the mood.”

“You mean for dates?” Harry asked, arching a brow when Louis nodded. “If we bring a date home, it’s generally not for a meal. We’d let you know though, if that ever changed.”

Louis looked like he had something to say about that, but apparently chose not to, shifting in his seat for a moment. “Are _we_ allowed to have anyone over? On my off days, I mean.”

Harry considered it for a moment. Of course they’d have friends—it wouldn’t be fair to say no. “You don’t seem the type to invite over a complete stranger, so I don’t see why not. As long as they stick to the guest area of the house, and aren’t around when we already have company.”

“Yeah, of course.”

“If anyone caused a problem, we’d ask you not to have them over again.”

“Understandable. It’s your house.”

“It is, but we want you to feel at home. Just because we won’t be watching movies together in the living room doesn’t mean we need to avoid each other completely,” Harry said, pleased by the smile his words earned.

They got into the privacy issue a bit more thoroughly, Harry explaining more about how he imagined the whole eating separately thing would go. The thing was, he didn’t like the idea of making omegas wait to eat—that just wasn’t okay. There was a kitchen island they could eat at if they didn’t want to use the dining room table before or after the alphas ate.

He must’ve looked as guilty as he felt for suggesting it because Louis was quick to offer a reassurance, “We don’t even _have_ a dining room table at our flat. I’m sure the island is fine, and we could really use the alone time anyway.”

The way his smile grew at the mere thought of Niall didn’t go unnoticed, and Harry found himself more and more curious about the other omega. That bit Louis said about people being drawn to him…It was hard for Harry to imagine anyone more enticing than the omega sitting right in front of him.

“He really is special, isn’t he?”

“Very,” Louis replied, narrowing his eyes a bit.

Harry put his hands up defensively before any more knife threats ensued. “You had this dreamy look in your eyes, that’s all. It made me curious.”

“Do you believe in true mates?”

“I believe some alphas are more compatible with some omegas,” Harry answered thoughtfully. There was a lot more he could say on the subject, but he got the impression Louis was looking for a quick yes or no answer.

“I don’t. Not traditionally, at least,” Louis explained, glancing down at the floor. “The idea that one alpha and one omega are meant to be never sat well with me. I’ve known Niall since we were kids, and there’s no way anyone could convince me that I’m not meant to be with him.”

“Neither of you want to be with an alpha?”

“No, we definitely want an alpha. I just mean, if there really is such a thing as a true mate, then Niall and I have the same one. I won’t accept anyone who doesn’t understand that we belong to each other just as much as we belong to them.”

Harry’s heart was racing by the end of Louis’ declaration, eyes intense as he waited for the omega to look back up. “I’ve spent _years_ trying to get my family to accept I won’t find someone to mate on my own. Every time I like someone, Zayn or Liam has a problem with them, and it just doesn’t go anywhere. Believe me, I understand what you’re saying.”

“…You think they’re your true mates?”

“I know they are. Three alphas, most people don’t understand how that works, but we just don’t care. We don’t owe anyone an explanation.”

“No, you don’t.”

“I can’t even tell you the number of people who’ve tried to tell me that three alphas is too much for one omega,” Harry said, shaking his head dismally. Pack relationships weren’t that common to begin with, but the ones that worked were composed of either two alphas and a single omega, or two alphas and two omegas. “It’s depressing, to be honest. We all really do want to mate.”

“You’ll find the right one,” Louis told him, looking entirely confident in his assertion. “I’ll make a really nice meal for whoever it is, and they’ll keep coming back for more. They won’t be able to leave you guys.”

Harry chuckled softly. This omega really was too cute. “I’m not sure it’s that easy, but…thanks. I’m sure you two will find someone as well. I’ll make the wedding cake!”

“You bake?” Louis asked slowly.

“Quite a bit, actually. I worked in a bakery back in uni.”

“Oh, that’s good. I forgot to tell you, desserts aren’t my thing.”

“…You made the best shortcake I’ve ever had,” Harry said, completely confused now.

“I’m good at that, and I am excellent with chocolate chip cookies. Anything else though, I’m rubbish. Sorry.”

“That’s fine. It’s not like we eat dessert that often, and I could always show you a few things if you want?”

“As long as you remember it’s my kitchen. Pretty sure those were your exact words earlier.”

“You haven’t even spent a day on the job and you’ve threatened my life, taken over my kitchen, and refused to make mac and cheese. What am I gonna do with you, Lou?”

Louis scowled. “You’re going to thank me, because if you were really listening, you would’ve heard me say I refuse to make _boxed_ mac and cheese. Or boxed anything. If you really want that kind of comfort food, you’re getting it done my way.”

“Should I thank you for threatening me with knives?” he teased, tacking on a wink when Louis didn’t have a quick retort.

“I would’ve threatened to take you down without knives, but no one takes me seriously when I say things like that. It’s like they think just because I’m tiny I never took any self-defense classes.”

“So, you’re taking back the knives bit to threaten to take me down physically?”

“I can see you trying not to laugh, but you won’t be if you ask for a demonstration. I’ll have you off your feet in less than a minute, guaranteed.”

Harry managed to keep holding his laughter, but there was no fighting the grin plastered on his face. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe Louis—he knew exactly how those types of classes worked. The first thing omegas were taught was how to take down a larger opponent. What they couldn’t manage with brute strength, they could redirect to weak points on an alpha.

Nothing about having this omega knock him off his feet sounded like a bad thing though. “Did Niall take classes too?”

“Yeah, we went together. He could probably take you down faster than me.”

“Then why do you think you’d have to defend him?” he asked curiously.

“…I’d rather not say,” Louis replied, the light mood between them shifting into something unrecognizable.

Whatever it was, he didn’t like it. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s not like we’ve ever been in a situation where either of us needed to defend ourselves that way, so you don’t need to worry about that. It’s just something I’d rather not get into.”

“That’s fine. Do you want to talk more about pay, or did you have other questions before we get into that?”

“Just a request, actually,” he began, waiting for Harry to give him an encouraging nod. “Niall wants to meet all of you before I agree to anything. And I should really meet the other two. That night at the restaurant doesn’t really count.”

“Why don’t we do a trial run? You can come to see the house, check out the kitchen, maybe make dinner to make sure everything’s up to your standards? I’ll take care of dessert, and we’ll just forget the eating separately rule so that we can all get to know each other a bit,” Harry suggested, relieved to see Louis’ quick agreement. “Is there a day that works best for you guys?”

“I work the next three nights,” Louis replied, sinking down in his chair.

It made sense, but was a bit inconvenient. Louis worked the weekend, while they were off on the weekend. “Monday should be okay for us,” Harry said, eyeing his calendar.

“That’s good for us, too.”

“Okay. I saved your number earlier, so I’ll send you the address—unless you need a ride?”

“No, we have a car. Oh! We have a _car_.”

Harry blinked before realizing what Louis was getting at. “We have space in our garage.”

“I’ll have to put in notice at work before starting, too. Plus I have an obnoxious landlord to deal with.”

“Are you under a lease?”

He shook his head, though body language was screaming discomfort. “We pay month to month, but he’s…well, I can handle him.”

“You’re not going to let me help even if I offer, are you?”

“You know me too well, Harold,” the omega joked, bringing out a full dimpled smile. “It’s almost like we’ve been lifelong friends.”

“We could be.”

And that was enough for Louis to smile back in full force.

This personal chef thing was best idea he’d had in ages, and Harry was sure of it. There was something about this omega, and it wasn’t just that he was bolder than most…From his bright eyes to his witty remarks, he was clearly special—the kind of person Harry would make sure stayed in his life.

 

\---

 

“Do you think they know we can hear them?” Liam asked, glancing at his boyfriends curiously.

Harry whacked his shoulder. “It’s rude to eavesdrop.”

“They’re bickering right outside our front door!”

“It’s actually kind of cute,” Zayn chimed in, sipping at his wine with a smirk.

“You can’t say things like that when they come inside,” Harry warned, eyes wide. “I told Louis we wouldn’t make any moves on either of them.”

“Last I checked, calling a conversation cute didn’t count as making a move,” Zayn replied, looking to Liam for support.

“He’s got you there, Harry,” he said… _always_ agreeing with Zayn. Or maybe Zayn was just right again. Harry wasn’t quite sure yet because he was casually listening to the cute conversation going on outside as well. “Stop worrying so much! We remember all the rules you laid out. Louis is our soon-to-be employee, which means he is off limits. As is his boyfriend.”

“Good. I want us to be friends with them,” Harry added, pointing from one boyfriend to the next.

“And we will be, to the extent that’s appropriate under the circumstances,” Liam promised, and this time it was Zayn who was quick to agree.

“Why are you so set on being his friend anyway? I mean, it’s cool, but I thought we were just trying to get him out of a bad situation.”

“I’ve met plenty of omegas in worse situations and never tried to hire a single one of them,” Harry reminded them, staring pointedly. They exchanged a quick glance before conceding this one to Harry. “There’s a reason I couldn’t stop thinking about him after that night. We have a connection. And before you look at each other again, I don’t mean it like that. I mean he’s important. I want to be his friend.”

Zayn and Liam exchanged a look anyway, but it ended with them both shrugging which basically meant they were all on the same page. He kissed them both before headed toward the door, opening it with a big smile before either omega could knock. They’d gone from debating whether or not this was a good idea to reassuring each other that everything would be fine, and he had no intention of missing them hugging it out.

“It’s rude to eavesdrop,” Louis accused, not pulling back from the hug until he was good and ready. The smirk on his face said he didn’t mind as Harry let them in.

“Did you hear us talking?” Harry asked, a hand on his hip.

“No, but we’re not the ones with alpha senses,” the omega countered. “A bit convenient, when you chose to open the door, Harold.”

“Not really. We heard your car pull up nearly ten minutes ago. I was worried when you hadn’t come to the door yet.”

Louis nudged Niall playfully. “Told you he was nice. Very considerate.”

“And you told _me_ that he was Niall, your adorable omega boyfriend,” Harry responded, turning his attention to said boyfriend. He extended a hand, which the fake blond reached out for tentatively. “I’m Harry, it’s lovely to meet you.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you,” Niall replied with a grin, causing Harry to shift his gaze back to Louis. He’d already covered his face with a hand, and was shaking his head. “And this is the one with the lashes, and this one is the puppy.”

“I prefer to call them Zayn and Liam,” Harry said, watching as his boyfriends shook hands with both omegas—technically this was the first time Louis had been introduced as well.

“I’m a bit curious about this puppy thing,” Liam started, furrowing his brows.

“It’s the eyes,” Louis shrugged unapologetically. “The brow thing you’re doing right now doesn’t help.”

Niall laughed loudly. “If it’s any consolation, we love puppies.”

“I was _very_ intimidating when we first met,” Liam insisted, directing his attention at Louis. “Puppies aren’t intimidating.”

“I knew it. All three of you, you _were_ trying to intimidate me!”

And now all three were dumbfounded as they watched the emotions flickering across Louis’ face. Whatever connection they had, Harry just didn’t know him well enough to read it. He didn’t look upset at least.

“What, no one’s going to explain? You’re just mean alphas bullying the poor little omega in the restaurant?” He was smiling too much to be seriously offended. “I thought we were friends, Harry. I have to say, I’m offended. I expected this from the one with the lashes, but not you.”

Zayn’s mouth hung open. “From me? I was very nice.”

“You asked if I felt my performance was _satisfactory,”_ Louis recalled, tapping his chin. “And then you asked if I made what you described to be the worst meal on the table.”

“It was a reasonable question at the time.”

“We weren’t trying to intimidate anyone, but it wouldn’t be the first time the wrong person jumped for credit when we were trying to pay a compliment, or tried to point fingers when we had a complaint,” Harry explained quickly. “We like to stay serious until we know we’re talking to the right person.”

“If we’d been smiling from the start, we never would’ve met,” Zayn reasoned with a shrug.

“Right. So, thanks for the test then. Glad I passed.”

“Of course you did. Those games might work on alphas, but not you,” Niall said, pressing a proud kiss on Louis’ cheek.

Harry grinned at his boyfriends, who were clearly trying to refrain from commenting on the cute scene in front of them.

“Anyway,” Louis said, looking almost shy as he realized they were all staring. “I believe I have some cooking to do?”

“ _We_ have some cooking to do,” Harry corrected, gesturing between them. “You don’t work here yet, and I promised dessert.”

“Do you want to join us in the kitchen, or…?” the omega asked, looking to his boyfriend.

“Or we can get drinks, and you can stay out here with us,” Liam offered quickly, pointing between him and Zayn. “The kitchen’s not the most comfortable place for those of us who aren’t cooking—not enough room for all of us to sit, really."

Niall looked to Louis, waiting for an encouraging nod before he agreed, “I could go for a drink.”

“You’re not driving tonight, are you?”

“He’s not,” Louis answered, “but if you get him drunk before dinner, you can ask Harry what I’ll do to you.”

“I’m Irish,” Niall said, rolling his eyes.

Louis opened his mouth to say something, but apparently thought better of it, a tiny smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. “Come find me if you need me, love.”

“He’ll be fine,” Harry whispered, picking up the bag Louis had dropped by the door as he lead the omega toward the kitchen. “We wouldn’t let either of you get drunk tonight, even if you wanted to.”

“Not on purpose,” Louis said quietly.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean he hasn’t eaten much today, so he probably shouldn’t have more than one before dinner.”

“And now he won’t because I guarantee Liam and Zayn heard that,” Harry assured him, rubbing his back when he didn’t look convinced. “The real question is, why hasn’t eaten much?”

“It’s…complicated.”

“Does it have to do with that call from the other day?”

Louis looked up at him in surprise. “You heard that too?”

“Not all of it,” Harry said, setting the bag down on the kitchen counter. Louis had already claimed his favorite floral apron, tying it around his waist. Seeing him in it was doing odd things to Harry’s heart, but that wasn’t nearly as important as finding out what was wrong. “If you need someone to talk to, I’m here.”

“Whatever you heard, that’s a problem for next week,” Louis said, moving to the sink to wash his hands. “I’m supposed to be getting some paperwork in the mail, but it hasn’t come yet.”

“So what’s today’s problem?”

“Crummy boss, pesky landlord. Take your pick.”

“And those things add up to you guys not eating much today?”

Louis hummed thoughtfully. “That and a creepy doctor, but that’s another story.”

“Now you have to explain,” Harry said, bemused as Louis began peeking through cabinets like he already owned the place. Technically Harry _did_ say the kitchen would be his, so he didn’t really mind. It was nice to see him so at home already, even as he was navigating an unfamiliar place. “Please, Lou?”

“The doctor bit isn’t my story to tell,” Louis admitted, pulling out medium sized sauce pan. “And the rest I’m pretty sure you already figured out. You saw my pay stubs.”

Harry _had_ already connected the dots, but he was sure there was more to it—either way, he wanted Louis to be the one to tell him. The omega had taken a pay cut recently, and with all the bad vibes about his landlord…“That’s not okay, Lou. You shouldn’t have to choose between rent and lunch.”

“And I shouldn’t take a pay cut for existing as an omega, but that’s not really up to me.”

“It’s not up to your boss either because that’s illegal.”

“I’m not here for legal advice, Harry.”

“I’m not giving you legal advice. We’re lifelong friends, remember? From one friend to another, that’s not okay.”

“Suppose you already made the connection then? You can ask, if you really want to know.”

Harry walked behind him, reaching up to take down the pot he was tip toeing up to grab. “Ken didn’t know you were an omega when he hired you.”

“That wasn’t a question.”

“You’re not denying it,” he noted, frowning as Louis sighed. The omega sidestepped him, taking the pot so he could fill it with water. “Were you on suppressants?”

“I never lied about it. Any time I was ever asked directly, I always admitted it,” Louis said. He put the pot on the burner before gesturing down at himself. “I _look_ like an omega even if I didn’t always smell like one.”

Harry’s eyes swept him up and down. “You do.” And he smelled wonderful—sweet and addictive. He was glad Louis wasn’t on suppressants anymore, even if he undoubtedly had good reasons for taking them in the first place.

“I’m proud of being an omega.”

“You should be.”

“And suppressants, they’re perfectly legal.”

“They are,” he agreed, a reassuring smile on his face. “If you’re trying to convince me it’s not your fault, you don’t have to. I know it’s not. Do _you_ know it’s not?”

“Logically I do, but when a group of people who used to respect me suddenly can’t even say hello, it starts to feel an awful lot like I betrayed them.”

“That doesn’t make it okay for your boss to give you an illegal pay cut.”

“…I don’t expect you to understand. You’re an alpha. Your mistakes don’t haunt you until you do something about them.”

Except Harry _did_ understand, even if it wasn’t something he’d personally experienced. He eyed Louis intently, wishing he could take all his pain away. “You felt guilty because you considered it lying, so you accepted the pay cut as punishment. You think you deserved it.”

“It was the better option at the time. I wasn’t expecting the creepy doctor thing to happen.”

Harry raised a brow, wanting to press about that, but remembering what Louis said—it wasn’t his story to tell. That made it Niall’s story, he assumed.

He jumped on the other part of Louis’ statement instead. “What was the other option? Self-punishment?” And wow, just when he thought he could handle the answer, Louis gave the slightest nod. “ _Lou._ Can I hug you?”

“We’re supposed to be cooking.”

“I’m going to make you the best banana bread ever right after you let me hug you.”

There was a distinct look of defeat on Louis’ face, and it was utterly heartbreaking.

It was hard to imagine that _this_ was the same omega who stood proudly by his food when most would’ve started to apologize after one look from him and his boyfriends. The same omega who walked with an air of confidence and threatened him with knives.

But as he pulled Louis into his arms, and let the omega slump against his chest…it made sense.

He and Niall only had each other—that was what Louis had told him. There was a reason omega/omega relationships weren’t that common though. It was the same reason his own relationship could be difficult at times, despite how much they loved each other.

Alphas and omegas complemented one another in a way that couldn’t be replicated. The same way alphas had an inherent need to take control—to take care of their mates? Omegas had the opposite need. To be taken care of—to be wanted and treasured.

No doubt Niall and Louis _did_ want and treasure each other, but neither could truly let go and be taken care of when they were struggling like this. That was why Louis was trying so hard to keep his walls up—to be strong, and to do well. All Harry wanted to do was cuddle him and tell him how amazing he was.

“It doesn’t matter why you took the suppressants, or who knew,” Harry told him, holding the little omega close. There was so much he wanted to convey in this hug—so many things that he knew he couldn’t say. “No one is _entitled_ to know what you are. You don’t owe anyone an explanation, and you definitely shouldn’t feel guilty.”

“I wasn’t hiding, I just went away for school. I didn’t want to have heats when Niall wasn’t around.”

“That’s fine. You had every right to make that decision.”

“I had teachers who knew—classmates, too. I never applied to school as a beta.”

“I believe you. They can’t ask what you are on those types of applications. There’s no way you did.”

“I didn’t have to stay on them though, after I graduated.”

“But you did, and judging by the way you’re being treated now, who could blame you? If you were worried, you clearly had every right to be.”

“I wasn’t going to call you, you know,” he admitted, nuzzling into Harry’s chest. “I don’t like running away from my problems. But I can’t afford to be stubborn this time. Literally. It wouldn’t be fair to Niall to turn this opportunity down.”

“You’re not running away from anything. Chefs like Eric would kill for a job like this. And just because we won’t treat you badly doesn’t mean we won’t be demanding. We’re still alphas, and we still have high expectations.”

“Promise?” Louis asked, pulling away to peer up at him.

“I promise to make you work hard for your money if you end up accepting the job.”

He smiled a bit at that, softening in Harry’s arms. “So this really isn’t just you guys feeling bad for me because I’m an omega?”

“No! I mean, we were pretty pissed about how Eric was treating you, but this is more than that. We don’t invite just anyone to work and live in our home,” Harry insisted, holding his gaze. Louis just stared back, nodding despite how confused he looked. “You get it, don’t you? You feel it.”

“It doesn’t make sense.”

“It doesn’t,” he agreed, shrugging. “Maybe it doesn’t have to. We may not know each other, but we will. This connection, it’s important. I want you two here— _we_ want you here.”

Louis smiled at the sound of Niall’s laughter carrying from the other room. “He was worried before we got here, that you guys might not be what you seem. I told him he could make the final decision about all this.”

“Sounds like it’s going well.”

“Yeah, it does, but I still need to get some food in him,” Louis said, suddenly very focused on pulling ingredients out of the refrigerator.

His words filled Harry with purpose, and he was quick to ask what he could do to help. Not much, if Louis had it his way. He took the hint and began working on the banana bread, cataloging all the times Louis had to tip toe up to reach something. That would be an easy fix—he’d rearrange a few things before the omegas moved in.

 

\---

 

Liam knew they were in trouble the moment Niall walked through the door. Not to say he didn’t have an immediate interest in Louis, but _Niall…_ well, he suddenly understood what Harry had been going on about when he described his connection to Louis.

It wasn’t like when he met any other omega. That generally went one of two ways—he would either want to help the omega (usually the ones he met at work), or sleep with the omega (assuming Harry, Zayn, and the omega were agreeable to that). Not to say that was those were the only two options, but really, he couldn’t even remember the last time he’d made a new omega _friend_.

With Niall, he just wanted to get to know the guy. Yeah, he was more than just a little attractive, but he also radiated with a kind of warmth Liam had never experienced before. At first he’d been a little skeptical when Harry mentioned that Louis wanted his omega boyfriend to move in as well, but now? He couldn’t have been happier about it.

There was something about him…

“You too, huh?”

Liam looked up from his paperwork, surprised to see Zayn standing in his office. When had he walked in? “Hey, babe.”

“Is it Niall, or Louis?”

“Hmm?”

“It’s Niall for me,” Zayn said conversationally, “Louis for Harry, obviously.”

“What’re you talking about?”

“I mean, which one is on your mind? You don’t daydream like this, Li.”

“Oh, right.” He ran a hand through his hair, not even sure where to begin. Better to get right to the point, he supposed. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about Niall since we met.”

Zayn rounded the desk, perching on an empty space beside Liam’s paperwork and grasping his boyfriend’s hand. It looked like he had a lot on his mind, too. “We’re in trouble, huh?”

“Apparently. I thought it was just me,” he admitted, squeezing Zayn’s hand. “But if it’s not, isn’t that a good thing?”

“Not really.”

“…Why not? I mean, we only ever considered finding one omega, but what if this is our answer? What if we couldn’t find one because we needed two?”

“Is Louis on your mind?” Zayn asked slowly.

His heart sank. “No. He’s…I mean, he’s great. Smells lovely. Very attractive, and witty. Talented.”

“I agree. I could say a dozen nice things about him, but he’s just not on my mind the way Niall is.”

“We don’t know him though.”

“We don’t know Niall either.”

“But we will. It’s bound to happen if they’re both living with us, even if we have boundaries.”

“I’m not giving Harry up,” Zayn said, holding Liam’s gaze.

“I wouldn’t either, and we both know he wouldn’t leave us.”

“So what’s the solution? We feel drawn to different omegas, both of which will be living with us starting next week. We’re just supposed to ignore how we’re feeling?”

“No, of course not. We just…we have to get to know them both. Not all relationships start with a spark, or whatever this feeling is with Niall. Think about how we first met, and then when we met Harry—this wasn’t instantaneous. That doesn’t make it any less valid.”

“They said they only want one alpha,” Zayn recalled, causing Liam to frown. They _had_ mentioned that during their dinner test run. Apparently they were both wary about alphas in general, so the idea of finding two they could agree on was out of the question. “Have you ever heard of a pack of five?”

“No, only threes and fours.”

“There’s also the fact Louis will be working for us. I’m really not comfortable pursuing anything, even if we end up falling for him too, and even if Harry falls for Niall. I mean, how many omegas walk into our office after their bosses took advantage of them?”

Liam nodded in understanding. It was definitely a line they wouldn’t be crossing. “It’s too late now, he already put in notice at his old job. We’d be assholes if we backed out.”

“I’m not saying we should back out, I just don’t know if this makes sense. We’re really going to live with them, get to know them, and that’s it?”

“To start, yes. I think that’s all we _can_ do. We need to make sure Harry gets to know Niall, and that we get to know Louis better—see if there’s anything there. If that goes well, then we can revisit this conversation.”

“And if it doesn’t?”

“Then they’re not the right omegas for us. We’re in this together, and I won’t settle for less.”

They both fell into silence, considering everything they’d discussed. It felt a bit wrong, thinking about all this. Were they already taking advantage by having them move in with the intent of getting to know them? It wasn’t like they’d be thrown out if the alphas decided it could never work—they’d let Louis have the job for as long as he wanted, assuming he was doing well. But still. When Harry met with Louis, it was laid out as a strictly business arrangement.

Maybe the omegas were thinking the same thing though…

Before he could dwell on that, his office phone rang, interrupting the thought. He hit the speaker button. “Payne.”

“Hey,” he recognized Harry’s voice right away. “Are you free right now? I can’t get ahold of Zayn.”

“He’s here. What do you need?”

“Lou just called me, and there’s a problem. I’d handle it, but I’m stuck at the courthouse still.”

Zayn frowned. “What’s the problem?”

“Their landlord, I guess. Do you guys mind if they move in sooner? Like, today?”

“That’s fine,” Liam answered, Zayn already nodding in agreement. “Their room’s all set. Are they okay?”

“I don’t think so, but he didn’t say much. He’s too stubborn,” Harry explained, grumbling a bit. “It sounds like the guy found out they’re planning to leave, so he’s trying to toss them out now. Can one of you maybe go check on them?”

Both alphas narrowed their eyes. What was wrong with people? Every day they heard stories about omegas being treated poorly, but it never got easier.

“I’ll go,” Liam decided, glancing over his calendar. He didn’t have meetings, and the paperwork could probably wait a day. “Send me the address?”

His cell phone dinged a moment later. “Thanks, Li. I’ve got to go now, see you guys later.”

The line disconnected after they said their goodbyes, and Zayn was already hopping off the desk. “I’d go with you, but I’ve got a client coming soon.”

“It’s okay, I’ll be able to handle it,” Liam said, rising to his feet. He pulled Zayn close by the hips, giving him a quick kiss. “I’ll probably stay home to make sure they get settled.”

“We won’t wait for you then. Let me know if you need anything—I can reschedule my meeting.”

“Actually, if you guys could pick up some take out, that’d be great. We agreed Louis wouldn’t start working until next week, and I don’t see why this should change things.”

Zayn raised both brows. “Yeah, good thinking. Text me if they have any allergies or preferences. We’ll grab something on the way home.”

He grabbed his keys and wallet, slipping back into his business jacket before exiting the office with Zayn. Another kiss took the place of a goodbye as Liam went to the lift, smiling to himself as he heard Zayn call down the hall, “Put your alpha face on, Puppy!”

He was already planning to do that. None of them knew much about this landlord, but Harry had mentioned the way Louis’ mood changed when the man came up in conversation. From his experience, anyone who could evoke such a reaction from an omega _at least_ deserved a harsh glare before he formed his own opinion about the person.

And if it was true that the man was tossing them out without notice? Well, he’d be getting more than a harsh glare.

He quickly punched the address into his GPS before driving that way, not familiar with the street name off hand. It wasn’t until he was nearly there that he realized it was relatively close to the restaurant where they’d met Louis—probably walking distance. The area was packed with little businesses, and if his GPS hadn’t told him he’d arrived, he would’ve been sure he’d taken a wrong turn or missed it somehow.

It must’ve been a flat above one of the business, he realized. The sound of a disgruntled, familiar omega caught his attention quickly, guiding him to the side of one of the buildings. Niall. He ran up a set of metal stairs, concerned for the weeping omega at the top…but he was whacked over the head with a newspaper the moment he bent down to see what was wrong.

“Oi, leave him alone!” His attacker raised the paper again, but stopped abruptly before bringing it back down on his head. “Liam?”

“That’s me,” Liam replied, chuckling softly as he looked up at a wide eyed Louis.

“I’m so sorry! I thought you were—”

“It’s okay, I probably deserved it. Should’ve announced myself first.”

“What’re you doing here? Did Harry send you?”

“He did. Said there was a problem with your landlord?”

Louis frowned. “I only called to see if we could move in today. I had this bit under control.”

“He changed the locks,” Niall said, peeking up from where he’d had his head buried in his knees. “How is that under control? All our stuff’s in there!”

“…I have a plan.”

Niall scoffed, wiping the remnants of tears from his eyes. “What, give him what he asked for?”

“No! That’s disgusting.”

Red flags went off in Liam’s head, and he stood up immediately. “Where is he, and what did he ask for?”

“We just wanna get our stuff and go,” Niall said instead, glancing up tentatively. “I don’t want to see him again.”

“You won’t have to see him, but I still need to know. I’ll take care of it.”

“If you really want to help,” Louis began, gesturing for them to follow. They walked up another set of stairs where there were two sets of closed doors. “This one’s ours. Think you can open it?”

“Yeah,” Liam shrugged, assessing it for a moment.

It was an old building, with old wooden doors. The hinges were probably old and rusty, too. Nothing an alpha couldn’t handle, which was actually kind of alarming to think about—did these two omegas spend their heats here, where it’d be so easy for an alpha to get to them?

He reminded himself they were moving as he went at the door with full force, using his shoulder to knock it open. It only took two tries, and he was dusting himself off.

“That was sexy,” Niall whispered right into Louis’ ear.

The other omega stifled his laughter, but didn’t comment as they all walked inside. Liam casually pretended not to hear until Louis caught his eye and winked—he was definitely a perceptive omega. He found himself winking back, quite pleased with Niall’s comment. It was hardly an impressive feat for an alpha, but it wasn’t often he got to use his strength, much less impress an omega with it.

“So, where is this guy?” Liam asked, folding his arms across his chest. It looked like they’d already started packing before they were locked out, which meant he was running out of time. “I need to talk to him before we leave.”

“But we’re in now,” Niall protested, shaking his head.

“I just broke down a door. I don’t want him coming after you.”

“He doesn’t even know where we’re going.”

Liam just stared at the two, waiting. None of them were leaving until he got to meet this landlord.

“He owns the building. Works in the convenience store downstairs,” Louis said, holding Niall when he let out an uncomfortable whine. “Don’t bring him up here.”

“What did he ask for?”

Embarrassment mingled with the discomfort in the air. “The same thing he wants every time we have to talk to him or pay rent. We never…but then he was so _mad_ when he found out about the move…”

Hence the lock changing. The man was either spiteful, or it was some last ditch effort to get what he wanted from these two. Liam’s expression hardened as he exited the flat, and he had to take a full minute to make sure his temper was in check before entering the shop below. He couldn’t even remember the last time he felt this outraged.

There was only one person who seemed to be working, but he decided not to just assume.

“Excuse me, I’m looking for the owner?” he said, eyeing the alpha behind the checkout counter.

The man was small for an alpha, but certainly larger than either of the two omegas upstairs. Probably bored with his job and thought he deserved better just because he was an alpha. It was the kind of sick behavior Liam hated most—alphas who tried to manipulate and control omegas because even if their lives weren’t as glamorous as they ‘deserved’, they felt they _at least_ had that right.

No one had that right though, and Liam would be sure this man knew that before he left.

The small alpha seemed to be assessing Liam in return before replying, “That’s me. What can I help you with?”

“You can start by treating omegas with the respect they deserve.”

The alpha snorted. “You been talkin’ to those two teases upstairs?”

“Those two teases are _my_ omegas,” Liam growled, sending a warning glare at the man when he stepped out from behind the counter. “I’m taking them today, and if any of us ever so much as _see_ you again, you’ll regret not heeding this warning.”

“You think you can come into my shop and threaten me?”

Liam stared at him hard for a long minute before punching him square in the jaw. It was his turn to snort as the man stumbled back a few steps, holding his wound indignantly. Really, Liam wasn’t big on violence—that was a weak punch compared to what this man deserved.

“That’s for blackmailing my omegas.”

“I never touched them.”

He growled again, radiating with anger. Another punch, and the alpha was on his ass. “That’s for thinking that not touching them somehow makes it okay.”

The other alpha’s eyes were darkening, and part of Liam was pleased—it was the look of an alpha who was ready to start fighting back, which meant he’d have every right to really give this man what he deserved. But then he smelled something sweet and distracting…Niall walking past the open door hurriedly, box in hand. Louis just a few steps behind, glancing in the shop with wide eyes. They both kept moving, but their presence had already brought him back to his senses.

This wasn’t how he did things. He took bastards like this to court so he could hit their pride and bank accounts—made a spectacle of their bad behavior, and got them away from other omegas they could potentially harm. He didn’t beat them up in their run down shops, even if it was a lot more satisfying in the moment.

If he let this continue, Niall and Louis would end up believing he was just another alpha who couldn’t keep himself in check. That wouldn’t do.

He kept his alpha face on, looming dangerously over the man. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay down. I won’t hesitate to tear you apart.”

The alpha snarled at him, but after a moment, the darkness began to fade from his eyes. “I get it, okay? Take this and get out of here.”

Liam arched a brow as the man pulled a key from his pocket with a shaky hand. “I won’t be needing that. You’ll be needing a new door though.”

 

\---

 

Louis poked at his curry, making careful observations from around the table. Technically his new job hadn’t started, which was why he didn’t complain about the takeout he and Niall had been offered. But it was a bit weird, wasn’t it?

When he and Harry discussed the job, it was made quite clear they would be living together but separately. It was the alphas' home, and they wanted (and deserved) privacy—hence the thing about the omegas sticking to the guest area, and eating separately. Yet here they were, sitting as a group at the dining room table. Niall was chatting away seamlessly, like he’d known these alphas for years.

It had been much the same way during their trial dinner, but…that was a get-to-know-you meal as much as a test run. Niall wanted to make sure he was comfortable living with three random alphas, and the alphas wanted to make sure their new house guests understood the boundaries and expectations. Sure, the conversation had been friendly and easy, but it was still a formality.

So what was this?

“Are you okay, Lou?” Harry asked, pulling him from his thoughts.

“Fine. It’s just been a long day,” he explained, forcing a smile.

All three of the alphas looked skeptical. They would….they could probably sense his uneasiness from across the table. He put a hand on Niall’s thigh, relieved when his boyfriend covered it with his own.

“Is this about what you saw in the shop today?” Liam asked slowly.

“No. I’ve got no problem with that.”

Niall squeezed his hand before asking the question that was on everyone else’s minds, “What’d you see?”

“Uh. I don’t really know, to be honest,” he muttered, glancing up at Liam. The image of this puppy-like alpha looking nothing short of deadly as he stood over their landlord flashed through his mind, and he shook his head. “Whatever it was, I wish I’d seen more.”

“I hit their landlord,” Liam admitted, sinking in his chair a bit as both alphas eyed him in surprise. “Twice. He got in my space, and I just…snapped for a minute. It was nothing serious though. He’s fine.”

Louis snorted. Did Liam really think they’d be concerned about that man’s wellbeing? Of course he’d be fine, he was an alpha. Unless Liam had done a lot more than he was admitting, the man would be healed up by the end of the night.

Though…he kind of hoped Liam was being honest. Their landlord was a bit of a creep, always trying to pressure them for sexual favors in exchange for an extension on their rent, but when it came down to it…he never touched them. He always took their money with promises that one day they’d be ‘begging for it’.

And yeah. That warranted a couple punches for sure, but nothing too severe.

“Shoulda hit him three times,” Harry grumbled, earning a few surprised looks of his own. “One for each of us.”

“I think one for each of them was enough,” Liam said, brows furrowed. “I want you to know I’m not usually like that. None of us are. We’re not violent alphas.”

“Unless we need to be,” Zayn corrected with a shrug. He ignored the look Liam gave him. “We prefer to do things the legal way, but there're exceptions. Clearly.”

Harry hummed in agreement. “Liam’s actually the least likely to react like that, so your landlord must’ve done something awful.”

Both omegas frozen, gripping each other’s hand firmly. “Can we talk about something else?” Louis asked, almost a plea. The last thing he wanted was for Niall to start thinking about that man more—not when he was finally relaxed and enjoying himself.

Usually Louis was the one who dealt with the landlord, but that afternoon he’d been at work already. Niall was the one who was forced out of their flat, left there as the man changed the locks—told that he knew what he had to do if he wanted to get back inside.

Instead he’d called Louis at work, who’d promptly been fired when he tried to explain that there was an emergency and he needed to leave. Their loss, really. He’d put in two weeks’ notice because he still considered himself a professional—it wasn’t like he _needed_ to be there anymore. When it came down to it, comforting a panicked Niall was far more important than finishing out those two weeks.

“We can talk about anything you want,” Harry responded quickly, a kind smile on his face.

“I kind of lost my job today,” Louis admitted, glancing from one alpha to the next. “They weren’t pleased when I took off to deal with the landlord thing, so, um…I can start tomorrow, if you want? Instead of next week.”

“No, that’s okay,” Liam decided right away. “You should take your time to unpack—get settled in. Obviously you’re free to use the kitchen and make whatever for yourselves, but don’t worry about us.”

“Are you sure?” Louis asked hesitantly. “We don’t have that much stuff. We’ll be unpacked tonight.”

“If you really want, you can start the day after tomorrow,” Liam said, looking from left to right to make sure both other alphas agreed. “I at least want you to take tomorrow for yourselves though.”

Zayn nodded in agreement “We’ve got dinner plans anyway, so it would’ve been your day off.”

“We do?” Harry asked, raising a brow.

“We’re going out with Aidan, remember?”

Harry frowned. “I thought we cancelled that.”

“No, _you_ mentioned cancelling, but then we agreed there was no good reason not to give it a try,” Liam reminded him, not sounding particularly enthusiastic about it himself.

Louis and Niall exchanged a quizzical look, but neither said a word. It sounded like they were talking about a date, but no matter how ‘friendly’ their conversation was, it really wasn’t their place to ask. There was a chance it was work related, but…

Why would Harry be eyeing him almost apologetically if that was the case?

That look did nothing but cause his heart to pang, suddenly renewing his interest in his curry. This was his boss. One of three new bosses. He had no right to have any opinions on this subject.

“So, you like some heat in your food?” Louis asked, nodding toward Zayn’s plate.

 _This_ was what he was allowed to think about—food. Maybe he wasn’t supposed to notice how vibrant Harry’s eyes were, but he _was_ supposed to notice that Zayn had the spiciest curry on the table.

“I do, but I’m the only one,” Zayn warned with a smile.

“Hey, I like spicy foods!” Harry protested, whacking the other alpha’s shoulder playfully.

“I don’t,” Liam chimed in, taking a mouthful of his own food. “Please make Zayn’s separate if you’re planning to indulge his illogical need to eat food that makes him sweat.”

Zayn scoffed. “I’ve yet to eat something that made me sweat.”

“Is that a challenge?” Louis asked, smirking as Zayn raised both brows. He nodded decisively. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Don’t let Harry trick you either. He thinks because he likes jalapenos, he likes hot food,” Zayn explained, rolling his eyes as Harry grumbled in protest. “He can’t handle as much as he lets on, and he’d be too nice to tell you if it was too much.”

“That won’t do, Harold. It’s important you tell me right away if you don’t like something, otherwise I’ll probably make it again at some point.”

“I’d tell you, Lou,” Harry promised, and again Louis found himself believing it without question. “Do _you_ like spicy foods?”

“I don’t mind a little heat now and again,” Louis responded with a shrug. “Omegas have less tolerance though. I probably wouldn’t like that curry.”

“Last time he ate something too spicy, he was in tears,” Niall said, laughing as his boyfriend shot him an indignant look. “He likes to think he has to try everything just because he’s a chef.”

“Well, it doesn’t hurt.”

“Except when it does,” Niall teased, elbowing him in the side.

“I can’t very well make something I’ve never tried. Plus, it’s good practice to taste everything before serving—it’s important to make sure it’s seasoned properly.”

“You two are adorable.” Harry was grinning at them, clearly pleased when they both blushed. “Do you cook, Niall?”

“Not really,” Niall responded shortly.

“Because Lou prefers it?”

“No, I’m just not that kind of omega. Neither is he, really,” the fake blond said, shrugging at the curious looks the alphas were giving him. “We mostly make sandwiches and things like that at home.”

“It’s a matter of principle. We’re not keen on omega stereotypes,” Louis tried to explain. Surely they kind of figured that much out already, but he didn’t really expect three successful alphas to fully understand. “I always hated cooking when I was growing up. Refused to learn even when my mum tried to teach me—used to let things burn just so she’d stop trying.”

Harry looked more and more interested by the word. “Why culinary school then?”

“I always found it annoying that omegas are supposed to cook, but only at home. It’s utter bullshit,” he said, silently daring any of them to disagree. They didn’t. “If I’m expected to cook, I’d rather do it for money. _Especially_ if I can do it just as well as any alpha.”

“So it’s not something you’re actually passionate about?” Harry concluded with a slight frown.

“I enjoy it now, if that’s what you mean. More than I expected, if I’m honest,” Louis admitted slowly. How could he not? He’d gone to school thinking he would cook almost methodically—learn what he needed without getting attached to the task. It was supposed to be all measurements and recipes. That had all changed after his first successful dish. “The important thing is, I don’t enjoy it because I’m an omega. I just enjoy it, and happen to be an omega. There’s a difference. Don’t get me wrong—I know some omegas genuinely like doing the stay at home thing, and that’s fine. It’s the idea that I _have_ to be that way that doesn’t sit well with me.”

“I respect that.”

Again Louis found himself believing Harry’s words, smiling under their effect. It was short-lived though, as he saw their curious eyes shifting to Niall. It was only a matter of time before they asked about Niall’s job, and there was no way his boyfriend would be ready to talk about that yet.

“What about you three?” he asked quickly, turning the attention away from his boyfriend.

“Harry’s pretty good in the kitchen, but we’re hopeless,” Liam responded with a chuckle. “We do a lot of takeout.”

“I think he meant what about your work,” Niall guessed, pleased when Louis nodded. “Alphas can be anything. Why law?”

“It’s a bit complicated—different for each of us,” Zayn answered carefully. “I grew up with Liam. All the alphas in his family are lawyers.”

“They expected me to be the same,” Liam continued, shaking his head. “Naturally it was the last thing I wanted to be.”

“I didn’t live in his house, so I thought it was cool. I wanted to be a prosecutor for the longest time,” Zayn said, smiling at some unspoken memory. “We met Harry at uni, and everything changed.”

“I was studying omega rights,” Harry explained, smiling just as fondly as he eyed his boyfriends. “I wanted to be an advocate.”

“Why omega rights?” Louis asked curiously.

“Everyone acted like presenting as an alpha was my biggest accomplishment,” Harry said with a dramatic eye roll. “Honestly, I was disappointed. I wanted to be an omega.”

Louis blinked in surprise, having a hard time imagining Harry as anything other than the alpha he was. Sure, he was different than most, but everything about his aura screamed _alpha._ Just one look from him was enough to bring out Louis’ inner omega, which was overwhelming at times—he’d never met an alpha who could do that. From his stature, to his presence, to his words...Harry was everything Louis imagined an alpha should be.

“I decided just because I wasn’t one didn’t mean I couldn’t help,” Harry continued. “Omegas are special. There’s a reason I wanted to be one—alphas get a lot of credit, but the fact is, we’re nothing without omegas. What good are our instincts if we don’t have omegas to balance them out? Nothing about us is superior in any way.”

Louis and Niall were hanging on his every word, which didn’t go unnoticed. Zayn chuckled, catching both their attention. “He’s passionate, isn’t he? That’s what drew me and Liam in. We’d never met an alpha like Harry before.”

“I’d never met two alphas like you either,” Harry replied happily.

“I hated law until Harry came along. I really felt stuck, like my life would never be my own. It’s a bit of a long story, but when Harry suggested this area, I never looked back. Zayn decided to take the same route, and we both agreed we couldn’t see ourselves doing this without Harry. The rest is history.”

“It’s not what I saw myself doing, but I’d like to think I still help a lot of people this way,” the curly haired alpha said. “There’s something satisfying about going after the alphas who abuse their status, too. As an advocate, I wouldn’t have been able to do that directly.”

“Plus, there’s a serious lack of omega rights attorneys out there,” Zayn added dismally. “All the new laws don’t do omegas any good if alphas are constantly getting away with breaking them.”

How did these three alphas not have a mate?

Either this was all too good to be true, or they were very picky men despite their amazing attitude toward omegas. Louis could see Niall was just as impressed, which was almost strange. He couldn’t even remember the last time they’d both been impressed by the same alpha, let alone multiple.

He shook the thought from his head, remembering exactly what this was. These men were his bosses. His bosses who were probably going on a date the next night, with some guy named Aidan.

Was he an omega?

That was none of his business, but the thought still made his stomach turn. _Shit._ “Do you mind if we go unpack now?” Louis asked, needing to get the hell out of this room before his emotions became too detectable. The last thing he needed was for them to ask what was wrong again.

“That’s fine,” Harry responded, already mildly concerned. “Do you need any help?”

“Liam already helped us bring the boxes in,” Niall said, rising to his feet after Louis practically jumped out of his chair. “I think we can handle the rest. Thanks though.”

“We’ll clean up,” Zayn said before either could pick their plate up off the table.

“Let us know if you need anything,” Liam added, Harry echoing the sentiment.

They muttered another thank you before headed off toward the guest wing, Louis blatantly ignoring the confused looks Niall was sending him. It wasn’t until they were behind closed doors that he faced his boyfriend, shaking his head.

“We’re in trouble.”

“What do you mean?” Niall responded slowly. “What’s wrong?”

Louis held his gaze evenly. “You know exactly what I mean.”

“They’re different. Special,” he conceded, frowning a bit.

“Harry especially. I just…when he _looks_ at me, I feel like I can’t control myself.”

“…We’re in trouble,” Niall repeated, reaching out for Louis’ hands.

“What do _you_ mean?”

“I feel the same when the other two look at me.”

“They’re great,” Louis sighed, at a loss. “I’m not really drawn to them the same way as Harry, but I feel like I could be. Everything they were saying…unless it’s all for show, they’re perfect.”

“They’re your bosses. We live in their house now,” Niall said, gesturing around the room.

“They have a _date_ tomorrow.”

Niall looked just as put off by that statement. “Maybe it’s for the best,” he said, not sounding convinced. “Nothing can happen while you work here.”

“We only want one alpha anyway,” Louis reminded them both. “Three would be too much. We’re too independent for that.”

“Even an open minded alpha wants _some_ control,” Niall agreed uneasily.

That was part of the reason they only wanted one alpha. Between the two of them, the pressure would be split. Whenever it became too much for one, the other would be there to swap. They’d joked about it for years—how one could hide while the other played the obedient omega for a while.

“Can you imagine submitting to more than one? Even if I did something wrong, I’d be too stubborn to do that. I’m not sure I could handle it.”

“It’d be overwhelming. We’d never have time for ourselves or each other.”

“Thank god you feel the same,” Louis mumbled, letting Niall pull him in for a hug. “I saw the way you were looking at them and I thought we were screwed.”

“You were making the same face.”

“Do you think they noticed?”

“No, we’re just good at reading each other,” Niall said, rubbing soothing circles in Louis’ back. “They might’ve felt you freaking out a bit, but they know we had a long day.”

“You’re really drawn to Zayn and Liam only?”

“Harry seems like a good guy, but yeah. It’s different. I can’t explain it.”

“Neither can I. Sometimes I just want to bare my neck to him for no reason at all. I literally have to stop myself.”

“…That’s so weird,” Niall whispered, almost anxiously. “I know what you mean though.”

“I think I know what we have to do.” He pulled back, meeting Niall’s expectant gaze again. “I’m a professional. These friendly dinners need to stop. If we can keep them at a distance, whatever’s happening will stop.”

“You think?”

“I hope so. They want one omega, and we want one alpha. It could never work, so there’s no need to get attached.”

Not to mention the fact this was all probably one sided. Or, partially one sided. Those alphas would be idiots if they hadn’t already grown fond of Niall, but he couldn’t really imagine them looking at _him._ As much as they seemed to respect him, there was no way they would ever want such a stubborn omega.

“We can be friends at least.”

“I want that, too. Just not yet maybe,” Louis shrugged helplessly. “They were really clear about boundaries and all that. After I start working, we’ll just have to be sure to stick to that for a while.”

“You know I’d never leave you, right? I don’t care if we’re dawn toward different alphas. You’re mine. _My_ omega.”

“And you’re mine. I trust you,” he promised, giving his boyfriend a quick kiss. “It’ll be easier when this isn’t all so new and exciting. Once we’re settled, and I’m working, and you have a new job, this will all be normal.”

“I think I want to start job hunting tomorrow.”

“Have you looked into any yet?”

“I sent out a few online applications, but I haven’t heard back. I want to go in person.”

Louis smiled brightly. “They’ll never be able to say no when they see you.”

Niall didn’t look so sure. “I was fired from my last job. That doesn’t look good. I either list it and they call to see what happened, or I don’t list it and look like I have no experience.”

“You’re too good _not_ to hire. You’re talented, friendly, smart—you light up the entire room just by being there,” Louis praised, grinning at the blush spreading on his boyfriend’s face. “You’ll find a job in no time, love.”

“Will you come with me tomorrow?”

“Of course. Why don’t we unpack now, that way we have the whole day?”

Niall smiled as he nodded in agreement, both of them moving toward the few boxes in the room. It was strange to think that their entire lives could be condensed so easily. They worked so hard, and had so little to show for it. Only a handful of their belongings were truly valuable even within those boxes, and those items were the ones that cost nothing. Sentimental things from their childhood and their time together…

They had each other though, and that was larger than anything.

 

\---

 

Two weeks into their new living arrangement, and Niall’s heart was still racing every single time he left the guest room. Guest _suite,_ was more like it. There was a large bedroom, connected bathroom, a living space—all furnished. It was larger than their old flat, and they weren’t even paying for it.

Maybe that was why he was so nervous about leaving the room. He’d run into any of the three handsome alphas who owned this amazing place, and they’d realize he was literally bumming off them. Not only was he taking up their space, he was also eating their food, and using their utilities.

At least Louis was earning his keep.

His boyfriend was up at four in the morning to shower, then got right to prepping for the day. The alphas were up by six, and needed a large breakfast to fuel them for the day. Louis would also have top quality lunches ready to go, which had become his favorite meal to prepare. Apparently coming up with new ideas about what would reheat best pushed his ‘culinary creativity’.

The whole job was perfect for Louis. Sure, they’d both been a bit skeptical, but they’d clearly been wrong. Louis liked not working off a set menu, or sticking to set hours. There was something about the variety that challenged him in a way that let him thrive.

Niall, on the other hand…Well, it was hard to thrive when he hadn’t even found a new job yet.

“Hey, Niall.”

His heart stopped completely as he recognized Zayn’s voice, and he found himself turning around. This was what he got for wandering. Normally he stuck to the guest area when Louis wasn’t around, but he figured the kitchen was a safe zone still. Especially during work hours. The alphas had varying schedules, but they were almost never home before six in the evening.

Except today, apparently.

He moved away from the sink, drying his hands quickly. “Hi, Zayn.”

“Were you doing dishes?”

“Um, yeah,” he responded, biting his lower lip. “Just a few.”

“It’s nice you want to help, but you’re not the one being paid,” Zayn said, watching him curiously.

“I know. Don’t tell Lou, please? Last time he caught me he was really upset, and it’s not a big deal.”

“Do you know why he was upset?”

Niall frowned. “He said it was his job, so he wanted to do it.”

“It’s part of the agreement we have with him. You’re welcome to stay here, but you’re not our employee. We’re not comfortable with you doing work for free.”

“I made myself a snack. The dishwasher was already running, so I thought since it was my own mess I’d just…” He shrugged again, shifting uncomfortably under Zayn’s stare. That man’s eyes could smolder. “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize as long as we’re on the same page from now on. I don’t want to catch you doing any type of housework outside of your own living area, even in the kitchen. Do you understand?”

“I understand,” he mumbled, eyes falling to the floor. “Lou’s not going to be in trouble now, is he?”

“No, of course not. You don’t need to worry about that, we all think he’s doing a great job. It’s just important to us that we’re not taking advantage of you being here.”

“You’re not. I’m just bored, I guess. Lou’s got all this stuff to do—he’s out shopping for some vegetable I’ve never heard of,” Niall explained, smiling awkwardly as Zayn laughed. It was something Harry had asked for—maybe Zayn was used to things like that. “I don’t know what to do with myself when he’s out. I used to work every day, so it’s hard doing nothing.”

“What’d you do before?” Zayn asked curiously, walking over to the fridge. He pulled out two water bottles a moment later, offering one to Niall before perching on one of the stools at the kitchen island. Niall slid onto the one next to him, gulping down a big sip as he considered the question.

He’d done well avoiding this. Mostly because he’d avoided the alphas. Between feeling like a bum, and Louis’ words about minding their boundaries, he hadn’t seen them much since the night they moved in. Just in passing, but Louis had always been with him.

It couldn’t hurt to open up a little though. They _had_ agreed to try befriending the alphas after things settled, and…well, he felt settled. Mostly. This was definitely home now, if nothing else

“I worked at a hospital,” he admitted before he could change his mind. "I was basically a secretary."

“Did you like it there?”

“For a while, yeah,” he admitted, fidgeting with his bottle cap. “There was this doctor they hired…bit of a creep. Normally I can deal with people like him, but he was really persistent.”

“What was creepy about him?”

“It started with looks and comments. Mostly little thing—weird, but not awful. Then he started touching me though, on the arm or hand. Wherever he could, really. It got uncomfortable fast, so I asked him to stop. I think he thought I was kidding or something,” Niall said, scoffing because he thought he’d been pretty clear. “I filed a complaint against him after that, but it didn’t help. He only left me alone for a few days before it just got worse.”

Nothing terrible had happened, but that didn’t make the memories any more pleasant. The uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach was nauseating, even after another few sips of water.

He’d always prided himself on how he handled people. Sure, he was friendly with most, but he always knew when to put his foot down. He never had a problem getting alphas to back off without things escalating. That doctor though…he’d had Niall questioning everything he thought he knew about himself.

Zayn probably thought he was pathetic. He couldn’t even look at the alpha, too aware that he was waiting to hear the rest of the story. Better to just get it over with…

“After a few weeks of it, I got fed up with it. I lost my temper.”

Something very rare. It was embarrassing to think about, and he was sure his face was red now. There was no way he could elaborate, so he pulled out his phone and brought up a video one of his co-workers had sent him.

Zayn accepted the phone, pressing the play button without delay.

Niall couldn’t watch, instead burying his face in his hands as he relived it in his head. The day Doctor Kyle squeezed his bum and he’d had a meltdown right in front of everyone…He could hear his own voice coming from the phone, shouting at the man, _I told you to stop touching me! I’m in a relationship. How many times do I have to tell you? I don’t want you, I never will. I’m sick of you doing this every day! Go find someone else to bother._

And that was the nice part, really. His rant only got worse from there.

“Niall…how’d you get this on tape?”

He looked up in confusion. Of all the questions Zayn could’ve had, that one was unexpected. “Um. After I complained, they investigated, but they said it wasn’t enough to do anything. Then they said I couldn’t put in another complaint so soon. My co-workers thought the whole thing was funny.”

“ _Funny?”_

“Yeah, I mean, he’d corner me every day and say the most disgusting things. Just alpha things, I guess. That’s what everyone said, that he wasn’t really crossing the line—he was just saying things that alphas say when they want an omega. They started taking videos when they’d see him near me.”

“You have more videos like this?”

“There’re videos, but not exactly like that. I snapped that day,” Niall explained, letting out a sigh. “I’m normally not like that.”

“I know you’re not,” Zayn assured him, bringing his hand near Niall’s back. He seemed to think better of it at the last second. “May I?”

“Yeah,” he agreed, smiling a bit as the alpha began to rub his back reassuringly. He could feel the tension leaving his body bit by bit. “You don’t think I’m crazy after seeing me act that way?”

“No. The guy’s a jerk, and he deserved much worse. He’ll get what’s coming to him though, and so will the office.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, how would you feel about coming with me to see Harry? This kind of thing is his specialty.”

“…What?”

“You filed a sexual harassment claim that clearly wasn’t investigated properly. You were denied the right to file another even when it was known among your co-workers it was happening. You have video _proof_ that you were fired for defending yourself from an aggressive alpha _._ This is a clear cut case,” Zayn told him, narrowing his eyes at Niall’s phone. They softened a bit as he looked back up at the confused omega. “Your rights were violated, Niall. We can take them to court.”

“I’d rather put it all behind me, if I’m honest.”

“The odds of the case actually getting to court are slim. They won’t want evidence like this going public—they’ll settle. This doctor may even lose his license over this, or at the very least his right to treat omegas.”

“You think he acts that way with his patients?”

Zayn shook his head solemnly. “I don’t know. Even if he’s not, I doubt you’re the only omega he treats this way. This is your chance to take a stand, Niall.”

“I don’t have a job. No one wants to hire me after I got fired like that. I can’t pay for lawyers.”

“That’s not how these cases work. Our firm would only end up taking a payment in the event you win, and it’d be a set percent from whatever the court awards you in damages.”

“…That’s how you treat everyone?”

“In these types of cases, yes. If anyone else went through this, it’d be the exact same thing.”

“I guess it couldn’t hurt to talk to Harry.”

Zayn smiled at that, and if Niall weren’t sure he was wrong, he’d have sworn he heard the alpha mumble _good boy_ before telling him, “I’ll let him know we’re coming.”

And yeah. Between the intensity of Zayn’s stare and the misheard mumble, Niall was sure his face was blazing red. He was quick to get the attention off himself. “What’re you doing home anyway?” he asked, eyeing the time on his phone. It was only two in the afternoon. “Lou said he wasn’t expecting you guys till seven.”

“I had a rough day yesterday,” Zayn explained, shrugging. “Things didn’t go my way, so Liam took my paperwork and sent me home early today.”

“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It happens sometimes, unfortunately. Even when we’re _right,_ there’s not always enough evidence to prove it. But I think it’ll be okay. I should be able to get my client what they deserve still.”

Niall frowned, looking at his phone. Was _this_ really enough evidence to do anything? He honestly didn’t know much about how these things worked. Logically he knew what Doctor Kyle had done was wrong, but he’d been told time and time again that it was no big deal. That it was a bit vulgar, but entirely harmless—that the touching hadn’t been strictly sexual.

How could so many people in the office be wrong?

“I didn’t mean your case,” Zayn said quickly. “There’s more than enough there, and if you’re having a hard time finding a job because of that, you deserve even more in damages. Harry can go over all that with you.” The alpha was sending a message out as he spoke, his phone dinging a moment later. “Do you mind if I send Harry those videos from your phone?”

“I guess,” he agreed, handing it back to Zayn.

The alpha was typing away on his phone, sending who knew how many videos to Harry. There were more than a dozen there, usually with his co-workers laughing in the background while he struggled to ask Doctor Kyle to leave him alone again _._

It really _wasn’t_ funny. Those last few weeks, every single day had been embarrassing and uncomfortable. And every day since, he’d had to live with the shame of what happened—knowing he’d snapped like that, and couldn’t get a job because of it. Even Louis hadn’t been able to cheer him up every time he got lost in his thoughts, and that had _never_ been an issue before.

“Okay,” Zayn said, handing the phone back. “I saved our numbers in your contacts as well, in case you ever need to get ahold of us for any reason. Keep those videos for now.”

“Okay.”

“Harry’s got a meeting at four, so if we go now, he should be able to go over a few things with you,” the alpha told him, chuckling softly as his phone dinged again. “He’s livid. He just watched the first video, and he says he wants to talk to you right away.”

“Is it really that bad?” he asked slowly.

The light smile was gone from Zayn’s face, suddenly very serious. “Yes, it is. What happened to you was not acceptable, Niall. Harry will do everything he can to make sure you’re compensated, and no one in that office has to go through anything like this again. They’ll start taking harassment claims seriously when he’s done with them.”

“I don’t really care about being compensated, but…if Doctor Kyle gets in trouble, I wouldn’t mind that.”

“Good. You’re definitely making the right decision here. Do you need a minute, or are you ready to go now? I’ll drive.”

“Um. I guess I’m ready,” Niall answered, sending Louis a quick message. He’d probably be home soon and wondering where the hell his boyfriend was. “Should I change first?”

Zayn was in a fancy black suit, looking sharp as always, while he was just wearing skinny jeans and a t-shirt. It wasn’t like he’d been planning to leave the house for the rest of the night. Normally, he would’ve _at least_ put on a button up for something like this.

“No, you look great,” Zayn assured him, heat rushing to his face as he felt the alpha’s eyes raking his body. “This is just an informal meeting. You’ll need to dress up for hearings, but Harry will always let you know in advance.”

“Okay.”

Louis had already messaged him back, predictably concerned about why he was going to see Harry. He sent back a quick explanation as he followed Zayn to the car, promising to elaborate later. It probably wouldn’t come as much of a surprised to Louis—the alphas had all mentioned their issues with his previous employer as well. His boyfriend had been resistant to the idea of doing anything about it though.

Even after taking a pay cut and taking poor treatment from his co-workers, Louis still considered that entire mess his own fault. It was something Niall understood all too well, even if he didn’t agree. Once an omega decided they were to blame for something, it was nearly impossible to change their mind. If Louis thought he lied and deserved to endure all that, no one short of an actual alpha mate would have been able to convince him otherwise.

All the more reason they needed to find someone soon.

 

\---

 

To say Louis was pleased with himself was an understatement.

A full month had gone by since he started his new job, and he had two paychecks under his belt. It was probably the fullest his bank account had been in…well, ever. Living with his bosses took almost all the pressure off him—he didn’t need to worry about groceries, rent, utilities, electricity. The only bill on his plate was for he and Niall’s phones, and that wasn’t a significant expense.

He had a plan, of course. Starting next month, he’d save an entire pay check each month (there was that scholarship issue he was still trying to fight, and even if that went well, it never hurt to have some money in the bank just in case). The second check he’d send to his mum to help out with his sisters. She was the hardest working omega he’d ever known, and it made him happier than he could’ve dreamed to finally be in a position where he could do something for her.

This month though, was all about Niall. They’d been through so much together, especially in the last few weeks. From job issues to creepy alphas to moving…It had been hectic, to say the least. But they got through it together, as always.

“Are you sure this is okay?” Niall asked tentatively, his hands filled with shopping bags.

He just smiled indulgently. “I already bought everything, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, but everything has tags still. We can return it.”

“Ni, I _wanted_ to do this. You deserve nice things, and for once in my life, I can provide that.”

“But I can’t get you anything.”

“You give me everything, every day. You’ve stood by me over and over again, even when things were shit—you were willing to move in with three potentially crazy alphas just to make me happy. This is the _least_ I can do for you.”

Truthfully, it wasn’t even enough. Niall had been _fired_ from his last job, unjustly so, and Louis hadn’t been able to do a damn thing about it. His alpha bosses had to step in to help because it was still bothering his boyfriend weeks later. He hadn’t been able to help Niall work through the insecurities that came from what had happened—he hadn’t even been able to help Niall find a new job.

How useless did that make him?

And now he was buying Niall new things, as if that would change anything. During their time together, Louis had learned early on that money was irrelevant when it came to happiness…but this was the best he could come up with under the circumstances.

Well, this and a traditional Irish dinner. It was his night off, so he’d busted out the slow cooker for a home-style meal. It was nothing like the restaurant quality food he’d been making for the alphas—this was a recipe straight from Niall’s mother.

“I’d do it all again, Lou. You don’t owe me anything.”

“I know I don’t _owe_ you, but I still want to do this. We’re in a really good position right now, not having to pay rent.”

“Yeah, but what if we need to move?”

“I’m going to start saving from now on,” Louis promised easily. “I already have it all figured out. Today is just a celebration!”

He pulled out his keys, unlocking the house door before stepping inside and holding it open for Niall. Perfect. The smell from the slow cooker was coming from the kitchen as they walked in, and he saw Niall’s face light up in recognition.

“You didn’t!”

“I did,” Louis winked, laughing pleasantly as Niall dropped all the bags and threw himself into Louis’ arms.

“I love you, I love you, I love you! It smells like home!”

“This is what home smells like?”

Louis’ eyes snapped open at Liam’s voice, pivoting with his boyfriend in his arms until he could meet the alpha’s eyes. All three of them were sitting on the couch, blatantly staring at their interaction. He was sure his heart stopped as he went over his schedule in his head.

“I’m so sorry. I thought you’d be out tonight?”

“Our date had to reschedule,” Liam explained, shrugging like he didn’t quite care. “It’s not a problem though. You’re still off tonight, so don’t mind us.”

“Did you eat yet?” Niall asked, pulling back from Louis.

“Niall,” he muttered, shooting his boyfriend a look.

“What?” the fake blond whispered. “Is there not enough for everyone?”

“No, there is, it’s just not…what I normally make them.”

“It’s better than that,” Niall told him, not bothering to keep his voice down anymore. The alphas could probably hear their hushed words anyway. “Do you want to join us? Or we can eat separately, but you can have some? It’s not fancy, but it’s a special meal.”

“What’s the occasion?” Zayn asked curiously.

Niall shrugged, looking to Louis to answer. “There isn’t one. I just wanted Niall to have a nice day.”

“It’s been the _best_ day. We went shopping, and I got all sorts of new things. Mostly clothes. And then we went—”

“Love, why don’t we take these bags to our room and you can change into one of your new outfits, hm? We can tell them all about our day while we eat. _If_ they want.”

“We do,” Harry chimed in, smiling broadly. “Is it an Irish meal?”

Niall nodded happily. “The best kind. If you play your cards right, I might even share the beers we bought. They’re in one of these bags.”

Louis arched a brow. “Since when do you share your Irish beer?”

“If it’s their first time, they need to have the full experience. This is important, Lou.”

“Ah, how could I forget?” He kissed his adorable boyfriend square on the mouth. “The smell’s probably making everyone hungry. Let’s hurry.”

His boyfriend nodded like Louis had an excellent point, scooping up as many of the bags as he could. Louis snatched the rest, blushing as they walked past three alphas who were failing to stifle their amused laughter. Niall’s enthusiasm was not to be taken lightly.

He dropped off the bag with the beer in the kitchen as they passed through, falling a step behind Niall as they made their way to their area of the house. No sooner had they entered when all the bags were dropped on the floor again, Niall tugging Louis directly into to the bedroom.

“What—” He was cut off by his boyfriend’s lips, pressed firmly against his own.

Kissing Niall was instinctive after so many years together—still exciting and fun, but something he didn’t even have to think about. There was no careful exploration or mapping of mouths. They knew each other inside and out, and he was happy to match every ounce of enthusiasm Niall had to offer as they tumbled onto their mattress.

“Ni,” he laughed into his boyfriend’s mouth, knowing full well where this was leading. This wasn’t a sweet, lazy make out session. Hands were roaming with intent, and he couldn’t stop himself from nibbling at Niall’s lower lip when his boyfriend squeezed a handful of his bum. “No time for that, love.”

“Why not?” Niall complained, legs locking Louis in place. “’m already getting wet for you.”

“Shit…Are you really?”

“Have I ever lied about that?”

“You just invited my bosses to join us for dinner.”

“It’s still your off day. We can make it quick.” And the way Niall began moving his hips against Louis’ almost had him convinced. “Please? I know you want to. I can feel it.”

“If we go out there smelling like sex, they’ll never be able to look at us without imagining omega porn ever again,” Louis said, laughing quietly as Niall pouted.

They both knew he was right—even _these_ alphas wouldn’t be able to shake the thought. It was one thing to see them hug or kiss, another entirely to smell the mingled scents of their slick and cum. If they had time to shower, it’d be a different story, but…

“You’re the one who invited them,” he reminded, tapering their kisses off into chaste pecks. Niall groaned into his mouth, but unlocked his legs to allow Louis to get off the mattress. Thankfully Louis hadn’t started to produce any slick yet. He could will his budding erection away now that he wasn’t plastered to his boyfriend. “I’m going to make sure I look presentable, then go start serving up dinner. Why don’t you change and meet us at the table whenever you’re ready?”

“Can we finish this tonight?”

“Tonight,” Louis agreed, the word a promise. “I’ll make it worth the wait.”

“What’ll you do?” Niall asked, looking up through hooded eyes. He was palming himself shamelessly, moaning softly before Louis could even open his mouth. “Eat me out? Finger me open till I’m begging for it?”

There was no stopping the whimper that escaped his mouth at Niall’s words. So much for not producing slick. Usually _he_ was the one instigating things like this, making dirty declarations in his boyfriend’s ear about all the things he wanted them to do to each other until Niall was a desperate, needy wreck.

He actually enjoyed that more than the sex itself. Not that the sex was bad by any means—it was amazing. Everyone always said omegas couldn’t satisfy one another, but he’d yet to find any truth in that. Sure, they were smaller than alphas, and yeah, they couldn’t knot each other…And okay, maybe the thought of taking something bigger, faster, and harder made him shudder (he always did like to be manhandled a bit)…But there was something to be said about the intimacy of being with another omega.

After all, who knew what an omega liked better than another omega? Especially two omegas with a connection like theirs. Louis thrived on the soft touches and hushed words they exchanged—he _lived_ for the moments when they could actually take care of each other.

“I’d lick you clean right now if I didn’t have three hungry alphas waiting for us.”

“You still can—just for a minute, right?”

“Is that what you want? Your slick on my mouth when I go out there to serve them? You want them to know exactly what we’re up to right now?”

“ _Yes.”_ He was stripping his pants off impatiently, blue eyes darkening by the second as Louis watched his every move. “Please, Lou.”

“Oh, babe, a minute won’t be enough for all the things I want to do to you.”

Niall made a disgruntled noise as Louis leaned in for a kiss just to pull back right away. “You’re going to leave me like this?”

“You did this to yourself, love,” he said, winking as he walked over to his dresser.

Maybe he was swaying his hips a little more than usual, too aware of Niall’s infatuation with his large bum. Two could play the teasing game, clearly. He pulled out new pants and skinny jeans, not wanting to risk being seen with a wet spot when he went to do his job. Day off or not, now that the alphas were joining them, it wasn’t the cozy date he’d imagined when he put everything into the slow cooker that morning.

A splash of water to the face, a hand through his hair, and a deep breath later, he was composed and ready to go. He was glad he’d chosen slick absorbent underwear because sure enough, Niall was lazily stroking himself on their bed, a dopy grin on his face as Louis caved in and kissed him one more time

“See you when you’re done,” he muttered into his lips, pulling back with a wistful sigh.

“I’ll be thinking about you.”

“Brat,” Louis accused, glaring with no real heat. He was too stupidly in love to mean it in a bad way.

When Niall moved to slide a finger into his tight, wet heat…that was when Louis walked out the door, shaking off all thoughts about how much fun they’d have after this dinner. It was funny to think how much he’d been looking forward to this earlier, and now he was ready to just get it over with.

“Hey, Lou.”

His heart fluttered the way it always did when Harry’s attention was on him. He smiled at the sight of the alpha sitting at the kitchen island, wondering off handedly where the other two were. “Hey.”

“Did you change your jeans?” he asked, looking Louis up and down.

“Um. How’d you even notice?” Louis countered, trying to keep it casual. Surely he didn’t look _that_ flustered anymore. “They’re practically identical.”

Harry grinned. “I always notice when you’re not in your chef outfit.”

“Oh,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair as heat flooded his cheeks. “Well. It’s my day off.”

“It _is_ , but you know there’s no uniform, right?”

“I know, I guess it just…it makes me feel like I have a real job.”

Harry’s smile began to fade. “You _do_ have a real job, and you’ve been doing great.”

“You realize you tell me that at least once a day, right?”

“And I mean it every time,” Harry insisted, moving around toward Louis’ side. “Need any help tonight? Since you’re off and we’re crashing your dinner?”

Louis lifted the lid off the slow cooker, looking everything over. “Nah, it’s ready. Just gotta cut and serve.”

“What is it?” Harry was already peaking over his shoulder. “Smells really good.”

“It’s a traditional Irish roast—corned beef brisket,” Louis explained, smiling up at him. “The rest is just potatoes, carrots, cabbage…usual roast stuff.”

“Niall sounded really excited about it.”

“He should be. It’s his mom’s recipe—we don’t get to make it very often.”

Harry’s hand was on the small of his back, staring down seriously. “…Is it really okay for us to join you?”

“Yeah, there’s plenty, and he said it was okay,” Louis responded, shrugging.

“Is it okay with you though?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

“That’s not an answer.”

He let out a short sigh. Any other alpha, he would’ve brushed off by now—why did Harry have to be different? “It’s not that I mind—he’s the one that normally eats double portions and then has leftovers for three days, and if he wants to give that up to share, that’s his choice.”

“But you wanted some alone time, didn’t you?”

“No, it’s not that—we have alone time every day. He’s just been having a rough time with everything, you know? So I wanted him to have a good day. It’s fine with me if he wants you guys to be a part of that. You’ve done so much for both of us.”

“I can feel you holding something back, Lou.”

He turned away to wash his hands, taking his time before he got the appropriate utensils and cutting board to start cutting up the meat. Harry seemed to take a hint, thankfully, and was already pulling out plates. So much for not needing help…The alpha began portioning things out with him, commenting again about how everything looked and smelled good.

It was nice to hear considering it wasn’t exactly the prettiest dinner he’d ever made—sure, it would be delicious, but it was the exactly the kind of meal he hadn’t been hired to make.

He looked up in time to see Niall walking into the kitchen, definitely looking relaxed and a bit flushed. Lucky bastard. Clearly he’d had a nice time finishing.

“You look good,” Louis commented, smiling as the sight of his boyfriend in one of his new outfits.

“Very,” the alpha agreed, looking Niall up and down until Louis elbowed him in the side. Harry was probably the only alpha he felt comfortable enough with to do that. “What? He does.”

“Of course he does. Doesn’t mean you get to gawk at him,” Louis warned, pointing a fork at Harry.

To his credit, Harry looked entirely apologetic. “I didn’t mean to stare or anything.”

“Lou, stop giving the poor guy a hard time,” Niall teased, picking up a couple plates. “For the record, he thinks your boyfriends look good as well.”

He scowled at his boyfriend as Harry looked down at him with a smirk. “Do you really?”

“…I think there are a lot of attractive people living in this house,” Louis answered simply.

Harry was beaming, clearly understanding that he was included in that statement. “There are. I don’t mind you looking, you know—just no gawking.”

Before he could get out a response, Harry winked and grabbed two plates, following Niall into the dining room. Louis picked up the last plate and some silverware for everyone, trailing behind. Maybe his eyes gave Harry a brief once over as they walked…The man _did_ offer, after all.

He set his plate down and handed out the silverware before returning to the kitchen for the drinks that had been forgotten, taking a single bottle out of Niall’s six pack and leaving that one in the fridge. It’d be easier to just carry five back in the carrier. They didn’t normally drink at the alphas’ house, so he shuffled through the drawers in search for a bottle opener…but something caused him to stop in his hunt.

The other four were already having an animated conversation, he realized. Niall was telling the story about how his family moved from Ireland when he was young—a personal story that he never told _anyone_ other than Louis.

Were they that close already? His heart didn’t know whether to race or sink at the thought, instead just panging awkwardly in his chest. Niall… _his_ boyfriend had grown close enough to these alphas to discuss things that he’d always kept to himself.

Of course, Louis knew they’d been talking more—ever since Niall agreed to let Harry sue his former employer, he’d spent quite a bit of time at their law firm. Usually it started as a meeting with Harry about the case, but almost always he’d end up getting lunch with one or more of them. It made sense that they didn’t spend the whole time talking about work. At the time, Louis thought it was a good thing.

It still was. Probably. This was just the first time he’d really seen the reality of it. No wonder Niall invited them to eat his favorite meal—they must’ve gotten to know each other pretty well. That was why Niall had stopped isolating himself to their room, no longer afraid of bumping into Louis’ bosses in the house.

Why did such a good thing feel so wrong?

When he finally found the bottle opener, he figured out the answer. Laughter was booming from the next room while he stood there alone, completely forgotten.


End file.
